Carlisle United sign midfielder Harrison Neal from Sheffield United

Carlisle United have signed midfielder Harrison Neal on contract until 2026.

The deal comes just days into the transfer window, with the player joining The Blues from Sheffield United.

It is not the first time that Neal has played in Cumbria, having previously played for Barrow last season.

Manager Paul Simpson said: "I'm really pleased to get Harrison in.

"He's a good, strong midfield player and I was really impressed with him last season on his loan to Barrow.

"He's got a good range of passing, he's got a bit of tenacity about him so he can win challenges and get around the pitch, and I think at a young age he's a really good player to bring in."

Simpson added: "We've been speaking to Sheffield United for probably the last couple of months about him and as to what would happen, and thankfully we've managed to get a deal agreed.

"I'm sure he'll be a really good addition to the football club and I look forward to seeing him develop over the next couple of years."

While the deal is early in the transfer window, Simpson has said that the swift signing has been due to work behind the scenes that began before the start of the year.  

"He's a player who we really liked last season and did really well for Barrow" said Simpson, "and there were quite a few clubs interested in taking him on a permanent deal in this window."

"He's looked at what we're trying to do here as a football club and looked past the current league position and sees that there are some really exciting things ahead if we can secure our place in League 1 this season.

"It's a challenge he's really up for."

The 22-year-old joins Carlisle United from Premier League side Sheffield United for a two-and-a-half year contract.

Speaking about the length of Neal's contract, Blues manager Paul Simpson said: "I think when you're signing young players you've got to be able to give them that time to develop.

"We all know he's coming in to a bit of a tricky environment at the moment, but also an environment that's going through changes and improvements.

"I'm really hopeful and he's got that real promise about him that he could turn out to be a really good player for Carlisle United."

Neal came through the ranks at Bramall Lane and has has a number of loan spells including with Kettering Town during the 2021/22 campaign.

Following is performances at The Poppies Neal joined National League outfit Southend United on a temporary basis - playing 22 times at Roots Hall.

He spent last season at Barrow, gaining 52 appearances in all competitions for The Bluebirds.

Since the summer and for the start of this season, the midfielder has been playing for Stevenage where he has featured 11 times.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...