Carlisle United have confirmed they have signed midfielder Will Patching following the expiration of his contract at Derry City.
The 26-year-old played 33 times for the League of Ireland club last season, scoring seven times and adding four assists as they finished fourth in the table. A former graduate of the Manchester City academy system, he briefly played for Notts County before making a switch across the Irish Sea.
“Will Improve Us”
Patching joins the club in a tough situation, with The Cumbrians rooted to the bottom of League Two and with pressure mounting on current boss Mike Williamson. He arrives on a two-and-a-half-year contract when his deal at Derry expires and the January transfer window opens.
Speaking to the club upon his arrival, Williamson said (Quotes via BBC):
“Will is a really exciting signing, he brings experience and a technical quality that will improve us.
“He brings a skillset that will get fans excited, we just need to manage him over these next few weeks and almost get another pre-season into him to make sure he’s ready to go.
“He’s been finished his season in Ireland for over a month, so we’ll need to do some work with him to get him back up to speed.
“We’ve managed to beat off competition from a number of other clubs to get him in with us so we’re delighted.”
His first game could come on New Year’s Day, when Carlisle travel to Crewe Alexandra.
Writer’s View
Will Patching arrives back in England as a much more refined player than the one who left in 2019. He now has plenty of senior football experience under his belt and comes into a very tricky situation but at a club that has very strong backing from its supporters and owners whatever the outcome of this season. With Josh Vela and Dylan McGeouch now in their thirties, it gives Carlisle younger faces to complement the development of their talents like Harrison Neal and Taylor Charters. It is a good move but with the club’s current situation, other moves need to be made to avoid the drop.
