Carlisle United have today signed Kelvin Mellor on a free transfer, with the experienced defender agreeing a one-year deal.
Mellor, 30, had an impressive debut season for Morecambe last term as the Shrimps became League Two’s surprise package.
He cut his teeth as a youngster with Nantwich before making the move to Crewe, where he stayed for close to six seasons, helping them to promotion to League One.
Two years respectively with Plymouth and Blackpool followed, where he continued to play regularly, and that caught the eye of Bradford City, who took him to Valley Parade in the summer of 2018.
He joined Morecambe in August 2020 and made 42 appearances in total at the Mazuma.
Manager Chris Beech said: “This option presented itself to us and got completed within a relatively short space of time. I’d actually had several conversations with Kelvin before, so it’s a player we know a lot about.
“In Kelvin we’re getting a player that has good levels of fitness, is a great height, which helps us offensively as well as defensively, and importantly is experienced at this level and higher, which has seen him be part of promotion winning sides on two occasions from this division.
“I remember him having an unbelievable season with Blackpool, where he operated as a goal scoring full back and ended up being courted by pretty much every club in the Championship.”
“He improves the group and that’s an important thing for me,” he continued. “He’s already ahead of most because he’s aware of what’s expected and how I want to work with him from the conversations we’ve already had.
“From a personal perspective he’s itching to get going and be part of our season. He got the first available train over to us to get this done and to be with us as soon as possible to make his start.”