Released Carlisle United defender Gary Liddle insists he has no hard feelings towards the club after his departure.

Liddle, 32, was one of eight players let go by United last week after making more than 100 appearances in his 28-month stay at Brunton Park.

The consistent and versatile player, who can play in defence and midfield, also made his 600th career appearance in February in a 1-1 draw with Colchester.

Now a free agent, the former Chesterfield, Bradford, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough man says he leaves the Blues “with some good memories and good friends”.

“It was two-and-a-half years ago when I joined the club under Keith [Curle, the then-boss] and I’ve had a few managers in that time, but I’d like to think it’s been quite a successful time," he said.

"I had a difficult first couple of months after dropping down from the league above, but once I got my bearings a little bit, I’d like to think I showed consistency throughout my time here.

"Having made well over 100 appearances for the club, it probably shows I was consistent."

Liddle first joined Carlisle from Chesterfield in January 2017 and was immediately in the thick of the Cumbrians’ League Two semi-final promotion push that season which came to an end in the play-off semi-final as United were beaten 6-5 win on aggregate by Exeter.

"I’m leaving Brunton Park with some good memories and good friends," Liddle added.

"Prior to coming here, I’d never been involved in a play-off campaign, so to be involved in that as soon as I arrived was something I really enjoyed.

"It didn’t quite work out the way we all wanted it to but it was a really good experience.

"The one disappointment from my time at the club is that we didn’t get the promotion that everybody wanted. Even looking back at this season, we’ve dropped points which have meant we’ve fallen short again [eventually finishing in 11th].

"We had that run at home where we not only couldn’t win, but we didn’t score a goal, so points have been dropped here, there and everywhere. That’s what killed us in the end but every team can look back at things like that.

"People always say you end up where you deserve to be, and with the inconsistency we showed throughout the season, it’s probably about right."

While excited to see what the future holds after making a total of 112 appearances for United, Liddle said on United's website: “I’ve met some great people at the club, both on the pitch and off it.

“Those people will be friends I’ll take away from the club and I’ll definitely keep in touch with them.

“You build relationships at any football club and the dressing room we had was a really top dressing room, so there are players in there who will be friends for life.”