17-year-old United striker Gary Madine has signed an extension to his current contract that keeps him at the club until the summer of 2011.

Madine made 13 appearances for the first team last season, having burst through the Youth and Reserve scene with 27 goals, and has been linked with a move to a number of top-flight clubs recently, including Manchester United and Newcastle United.

The 6ft plus forward, 18 in August, is tipped to have a bright future in the game, and manager John Ward said: "Gary has a great attitude and he is determined to put the work in to earn himself a Carlisle United shirt. We will have to be careful with how we do things with him, as we don't want to heap too much expectation on his shoulders, but we've potentially got ourselves a very good player."

Assistant manager Greg Abbott added: "Gary has been a pleasure to work with. He's a young lad who has that desire to do well and to succeed, and it's fantastic to see. I'm looking forward to working with him again next season, and beyond, as he continues to develop as a person and as a footballer."

Youth coach Eric Kinder said: "I was on a course recently, with Academy managers from around the country, and they were all mentioning his name. He has a real desire to play well and to be involved, and that is the same for him whether it's at Youth, Reserve or first team level. The manager has already rewarded him for the effort that he has put in by involving him with the first team, and he has settled really quickly. Hopefully we will now be able to watch him develop further as he stays with us here at Carlisle United."

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