Carlisle United fans could get a first look at the newest additioan to the squad at Workington this afternoon.
The Blues have signed the Blackburn forward Dan Butterworth on a two-year deal and he is likely to get half a game at Borough Park.
The Manchester-born 23-year-old had been at Ewood Park for seven years after starting his career in the younger age groups at Manchester United.
He made his debut for Rovers when he was still only 18 in a Carabao Cup win over Lincoln City in August 2018, and featured in the Championship for the first time in Blackburn’s 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers seven months later.
In the 2021/22 campaign he made 14 senior appearances before joining Fleetwood Town in a loan deal in January 2022.
He made 12 appearances for the Cod Army, scoring his first career league goal in a 3-2 defeat at Burton Albion.
Last season he was on-loan at Port Vale where he scored four goals in 34 appearances.
During his time there Vale’s assistant manager Andy Crosby said: “Dan has incredible talent in possession; he can create chances, he can score, he can play the final pass though he needs to improve other aspects of his play.”
In his own view Butterworth likes playing as a number ten, playing alongside a target man and getting into pockets of space.
Carlisle have beaten Annan Athletic (2-1) and Gretna (7-1) ahead of today’s game in west Cumbria.
Workington, managed by former Carlisle skipper Danny Grainger, have beaten Whitehaven 5-2 and lost 4-0 to Dumbarton before Morecambe pulled-out of Tuesday’s friendly, unable to raise sufficient players for the trip north.
Grainger is looking forward to seeing Kofi Moore, a teenage loan acquisition from Oldham, in his line-up for the first time.
But Reds are still without both goalkeepers Jim Atkinson and Danny Eccles, so are using Lewis Boyd, a former Carlisle United keeper who spent part of last season on loan with Carlisle City
