Carlisle United have announced their first two signings of the summer – with both familiar faces at Brunton Park.
Alfie McCalmont and Jack Robinson were both on loan with the Blues last season and have now committed themselves to permanent deals.
McCalmont joined from Leeds United in the January transfer window and played a key role in getting United to the play-offs, to Wembley and subsequent promotion.
The 23-year-old midfielder had appeared twice in Leeds’ first team but had impressed in a season-long loan with Oldham Athletic in 2020/21.
He had started all but four of Carlisle’s final 18 matches in League Two and a Northern Ireland international, capped against Malta and Ukraine, he still had one year left on his Elland Road contract.
Manager Paul Simpson said: “He’s a player who I think has some development to come. He’s a technical player with good energy about him and I think we can be the next stage of his development.”
Robinson joins, also on a two year deal, from Middlesbrough after signing his first pro contract with the club in the summer of 2020.
He was a regular at centre-half for the club’s Under-23’s and made his senior debut as a late substitute against Wycombe Wanderers on 8 May 2021.
After extending his professional contract that summer, he made his first start for the senior side against Blackpool in the Carabao Cup in August 2021.
He joined National League outfit Yeovil Town on a season-long loan for the 2021/22 season and made a total of 18 appearances for the Glovers.
Although he only appeared eight times for United following his loan move, and only one of those was a start, Simpson had been impressed with how he adapted to the loan move and sees potential in him.
