Carlisle United will have a new face in the squad for Saturday’s home game against Bolton Wanderers.
Josh Vela, 30, the captain of Carlisle’s relegation rivals Fleetwood Town, has joined on an 18-month contract with an option.
So far this season he has played in 28 games for the bottom side in League One and comes to the Blues after 12 years in the pro ranks.
Salford-born, he actually started his senior career with Bolton in 2011 and in eight years played 160 games, scoring 12 goals.
He made his reputation as a versatile player who can play in defence or midfield and after a short spell in Scotland with Hibernian joined Shrewsbury in 2020 where he played over 80 games.
After joining Fleetwood in 2022 he has figured in 57 games for them, half of them this season.
Manager Paul Simpson told the United website: “He’s a leader with great experience. He’s played over 300 games and he’s a player we’ve been discussing for many weeks.
“We thought we were close around the time we played Fleetwood on Boxing Day but their manager changed and Josh went back into the team as captain.
“He’s a player who we’re really pleased to get and we think he’ll be a good addition to our group.
“He’s a leader who will not only help us this season but will help us next year as well.”
