Carlisle United have offered professional contracts to four more of their youth team players.

The Blues have tabled one-year senior terms to 18-year-olds Charlie Barnes, Charlie Birch, Liam Lightfoot and Tom Wilson.

All four, who are second-year youth players at Brunton Park, have indicated they will accept the offers.

It will significantly increase the number of home-grown players in the Blues' pro ranks.

Taylor Charters, Josh Dixon and Keighran Kerr are already on the professional books, with previous youth products Jarrad Branthwaite, Josh Galloway and Liam McCarron having been sold in recent months.

The versatile trio of Barnes, Birch and Lightfoot, who can all play in defence or midfield, have all been on the bench for the senior side this season while central defender Wilson has also impressed in reserve games.

Decisions are yet to be confirmed on two other second-year youth players, Jamie Armstrong and Kyle Soper.

United said it was the latest step in their bid to establish a positive route for home-grown players from their academy to the first-team.

Director of football David Holdsworth said: "They’ve all had another successful year within the academy system and this is a continuation of the pathway they’ve been on with the club for a number of years now.

"It’s fantastic for this city to be bringing Cumbrians through like this, but it has to be noted that this is a reward for hard work.

“Part of what we set out to achieve at this club was a foundation for our young players to be able to progress, not just through the scholarship period but, if they prove to be good enough, beyond that.”

Academy manager Eric Kinder added on the club website: "If you include Josh and Jarrad [along with Charters], all seven of them are local lads who have all been with the academy from a very young age.

"That’s really pleasing for us all. There are a lot of people associated with the academy, part-time and full-time staff, who have had a bit of an influence as the years have gone on. It’s now down to the first team staff to start them off in their professional career.

"With these four through this afternoon it does mean we’ve had a really good day and the academy has had a really strong year. It puts pressure on them and us as staff to make sure we maintain the standards. We go into next year aiming for the same.”

Charters, who is in the same year as the four offered deals today, has made five sub appearances for Chris Beech's first-team in recent weeks. The west Cumbrian signed a two-year pro contract last August.