Workington Reds have suffered a blow on the eve of their home game against Bradford Park Avenue.
Niall Brookwell, 21, has left the club and has been training with Cork City ahead of the start of the League of Ireland season.
Since joining Reds in September, the former Liverpool Academy junior, has gone on to play 22 senior games for the West Cumbrians.
Although initially brought in as a midfield player, manager Danny Grainger has been forced to use him at the centre of the defence because of a succession of unavailabilities.
After leaving Liverpool, Brookwell joined Newcastle United where he played for the PL2 side and last season spent time on loan with Darlington.
Brookwell joined the Reds with the intention of putting himself in the shop window so was on non-contract terms with the Borough Park side.
He has been a consistently solid performer for the Reds and will certainly be a big miss over the last two months of the season.
A club spokesman said: “We are obviously disappointed to lose Niall at this stage of the season and wish him the best of fortune with this exciting opportunity.”
Brookwell has trained with Cork this week and although not named in the squad last night for a friendly at Bohemians which the home side won 1-0, there was an un-named trialist on the bench.
The trialist played in defence for the second-half as Cork wound up their pre-season build-up ahead of next Friday’s League game with Kerry.
Workington will have Sam Smith available again for the Bradford game after serving his one match ban following a sending off in the last home game.
