New boy Manasse Mampala is giving Chris Beech a good selection headache ahead of the new campaign, Gavin Skelton has admitted.

The striker is making a good case to be involved in Carlisle United’s early-season action.

Mampala’s latest impact came in Tuesday’s 3-2 friendly win against Everton Under-23s.

He scored the winner with an excellent strike for his latest pre-season goal.

The former trialist, who recently signed a permanent deal, is doing his cause no harm for a place in United’s attack, assistant boss Skelton said.

“He’ll take a lot of confidence from [the goal], and it’s up to him,” the coach said of the 21-year-old Congo-born player.

“It’s not a contract just to make up a number. He wants to knock people who are ahead of him out of the way.

“He’s definitely given us good problems to think about, because of how he’s affecting games when he comes on.

“He’s got all the attributes – it’s just putting it all together.

“He has a terrific attitude, and hopefully he’ll be a big asset for us and we’ll see a lot of him.”