Stopper Morgan Bacon joins Penrith
Carlisle United can confirm that second year keeper Morgan Bacon has joined Northern League Division One side Penrith AFC on work experience - meaning he can continue to train and develop with United as well as get competitive first team football experience under his belt.Bacon, 18, was in the first team squad for the FA Cup trip to Welling last season, when he covered for Mark Gillespie, and played a big part in the U18 side’s FA Youth Cup journey this season where he stood between the sticks against Chesterfield, Barnsley and Leicester City.
Youth boss Darren Edmondson said: "In terms of his education and progression this is an excellent opportunity for him.
"I'm a big believer that we should try to develop links with clubs in the local area and this is an example of how it can be a win-win situation for all parties when that happens.
"Morgan is at a stage of his development where he needs to be tested and pushed a little bit more, and what better way to achieve that than being involved in men's football, where the outcome of the games really matter.
"He's going into a dressing room where he'll be with older players who put a lot of demands on themselves and each other. He's going to have to take a deep breath and show that he believes in his own qualities and abilities.
"He'll be in situations where he will have to show a lot of confidence by coming off his line and, on occasion, he will need to push through physical players to put his claim on the ball.
"He'll need to show that he can concentrate, react to changing situations and stay focused. I have no doubt that he'll be nervous but he has all of the key attributes in place to help him to make this a really successful experience.
"He can kick, he's a good shot stopper and he is very vocal. He now needs to take all of that with him to Penrith, work hard and make sure that he pushes himself on to the next level.
"I have every confidence in him and I'm sure he will do well with what is a very good club."