Eric Kinder is returning to Carlisle United as the club's new academy manager.

The experienced coach has agreed to come back for a second spell as the head of United's youth set-up.

Carlisle moved for Kinder after the recent decision to part company with previous academy boss Darren Edmondson.

The Cumbrians interviewed other candidates but ultimately offered Kinder the chance to leave his role as Exeter's assistant manager to rejoin the Blues.

He had previously been Carlisle's head of youth from 2006-13, when he oversaw the development of a host of players including Gary Madine, Tom Aldred, Andy Cook, Brad Potts and Mark Gillespie.

That period also saw some memorable FA Youth Cup runs including a famous victory over Manchester United in 2008.

He has since had a four-year spell at Blackburn, where he was under-21 coach and then academy boss, and Limerick, where he assisted former United manager Neil McDonald - the man who brought him to Brunton Park in 2006 after a 10-year coaching spell at Blackburn.

After a brief spell back at Carlisle coaching their under-16s last year, he spent the 2018/19 season with the Grecians alongside boss Matt Taylor.

But the Wetheral-based coach is now back at Brunton Park, having signed a deal yesterday and having met some of United's academy and first-team staff today.

He will take up his new position on Monday, July 1, before which he will spend a final week with Exeter on a pre-arranged training camp in Jersey next week.

Kinder will head up United's youth department and will work alongside Mark Birch, who was recently promoted to the role of professional phase development coach.

The changes come after Edmondson's departure and coach Gavin Skelton's promotion to assistant manager.

Kinder said he is delighted to be back.

"It seems natural - it feels like I've come home," he said today.

Manager Steven Pressley said: “Everything I’ve heard about Eric is positive and he’s certainly somebody who comes with a wealth of experience.

"I’m really looking forward to working with him because I know he has the best interests of Carlisle United at heart."

Director of football David Holdsworth added on United's website: “We want our academy to be a leading light in terms of EPPP and how we create a pathway and we feel that Eric is the right man to oversee that.”

Exeter boss Taylor wished Kinder well in his return to Cumbria.

“Eric is leaving to go back to Carlisle United and take up a really good position back there," he said on the Grecians' website.

“He was fantastic for what he did for me in my first season. His experience that I had alongside me was so beneficial to myself as a new, young manager.