Former Carlisle United midfield Adam Clayton has taken up a player-coach role with NPL Premier Division side Matlock Town.
The 35-year-old midfielder links up with Ryan Cresswell’s Gladiators after making over 500 Football League appearances with teams such as Huddersfield Town, Middlesborough, Birmingham City, Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City.
He had started with Manchester City without breaking into the first team and his first loan was to Carlisle in 2009/10 where he went on to play 36 times for the Blues.
He scored against Leeds United in the Football League Trophy semi-final second leg, and converted his penalty in the shoot-out that took Carlisle through to the final.
Clayton played the whole of the final, which Carlisle lost 4-1 to Southampton.
He played for nine other League clubs and had his longest and most successful with Middlesbrough where he made 213 appearances.
After leaving Rochdale at the end of last season he made the move to NPL East Division side Liversedge, featuring 10 times for former manager Jonathan Rimmington, who recently took up the role of assistant manager at Matlock Town.
On his move, Clayton said: “I’m delighted to sign for Matlock Town as a player-coach. “It’s an exciting project and I can’t wait to get going.”
Clayton will be in contention to make his debut in their next fixture away at Hebburn Town in the NPL on Saturday.
Matlock are bottom of the table with only one win which was at home to Workington in September and are due to play the return at Borough Park on January 18.
