Darren Edmondson set out his vision to halt a talent drain of Cumbrian footballers as he started life as Carlisle United's new youth supremo.

The 44-year-old said it is up to the Blues to convince parents in the county that their boys have the best chance of a career at Brunton Park.

Edmondson will be manager of Carlisle's category three academy which must cope with the challenges of the Elite Player Performance Plan.

That system makes it easier than ever for Premier League clubs to snatch talented youngsters from the area.

But former 1990s terrace favourite Edmondson, who himself came through the ranks at Carlisle after joining as a trainee in 1990, said the Blues can still punch their weight.

He said: "I think it [the EPPP] does make it difficult, but if we've got a pathway parents can believe in, they are the ones who will push their lads to stay here.

"They have to see that Carlisle mean business with their youth set-up, that there's more chance of a 15 or 16-year-old from Cumbria getting into the Carlisle team than Newcastle, for example.

"We've got to make sure that's embedded from day one."

Edmondson was unveiled by United yesterday after the man from Coniston finally resolved a contractual situation with his former club Barrow, who had placed him on gardening leave after his departure as manager last November.

He is reunited with his former Blues coach David Wilkes, who remains on the club's youth staff, and will meet the youth team players on Monday.

Ex-Workington manager Edmondson, who ended last season in temporary charge at Bradford Park Avenue, said talks with chairman Andrew Jenkins convinced him to take the job as Alan Moore's successor, rather than pursue another first-team managerial post.

He said: "This route wasn't something I'd particularly thought about, and there were potential contracts elsewhere in non-league, but once I'd had the conversation with the chairman, my mindset changed.

"Being back here was a big pull, and also being in professional football, which can be difficult to get into. To do that at my home-town club - I'd have been stupid not to take it.

"It feels amazing. When I got the call from the directors to say they were interested in speaking to me about the role, it was a no-brainer to come back to the club I started at, that I love, and being a Cumbrian. Everything was set up nicely for me to return home.

"I came through the system here. I know what it's about. I've had some experience of managing a football club but now I want to help this club continue to produce a line of Cumbrians that can help take the club forward.

"We've got to find those players, start to bring through [Matt] Jansens and people like that who've been in Cumbria in previous years.

"That's not a step back in time. They're out there. My job is to get the right staff below me to find them, improve them and make sure they're ready when they come into the manager's squad.

"All Carlisle fans have ever wanted is to see their own on that football field, winning matches, something they can locally back and get hold of."

Edmondson, who said working on the psychology of young players would be key, insisted he would not disregard young players from outside the county even though his priority was to recruit Cumbrians.

But he suggested United's vision, started in 2013, of having nine home-grown players in their first-team squad in 10 years' time, was not necessarily set in stone.

He said: "Every Carlisle fan would get behind that policy. In an ideal world, yes, but we don't live in an ideal world. My job is basically to get as many through as I can, so the club then doesn't have to buy players and spend bigger money that way."

Edmondson has also held talks with new chief executive Nigel Clibbens and said the former Huddersfield boss - his line manager - is also keen to promote youth.