Omari Patrick on his aim to add pace to Carlisle Utd's attack, his athletics background and his debt to a former Blues manager

The deadline-day recruit, who scored for the reserves this week, will be in the squad to face leaders Swindon.

It will be the former Bradford man’s first chance of first-team involvement as he was not signed in time to be eligible for last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Mansfield.

Patrick knows he must first force his way into Chris Beech’s improving team, which is unbeaten in four League Two games.

The 23-year-old says he can be versatile along United’s forward line and is keen to make his mark.

Patrick said: “I’m not an out-and-out striker but I can do a job there as I did [in Tuesday’s reserve game against Fleetwood].

“As long as I’m on the pitch and attacking I don’t really mind where I play, but I like playing on the left so I can cut in, and the fans will see a lot of pace from me, which will hopefully bring exciting football.” Patrick signed an 18-month deal with the Cumbrians last week and the former Wrexham loan man feels he is joining United at a good time.

They face the League Two leaders – who are likely to include ex-Blues frontmen Hallam Hope and Jerry Yates – amid their best unbeaten run of the season, which has eased relegation fears with the gap to the bottom now 11 points.

Patrick says he has noticed the right spirit among his team-mates as Carlisle try to climb further. He said: “It was similar when I went to Wrexham, I think we were bottom of the table when I went there but there was still a real fight and spirit within the club, and they’re climbing up the table now. We aren’t in as bad as position as that, but you can see the fight the boys have got and I think we’ll be fine.”

Patrick had been at Bradford for two-and-a-half years, having joined during ex-Blues boss Greg Abbott’s time there as head of recruitment.

The forward spoke of the influence Abbott has had on his career.

He said: “Greg was a big part of me going to Bradford. I was at Barnsley under-23s before that but Greg actually wanted to sign me before I went there.

“I decided to go to Barnsley but Greg kept an eye on how I was doing, and in the end I signed for Bradford on the same day I got released from Barnsley a year later.

“Greg was a big part in my career, and it was nice to walk into Brunton Park and see his pictures on the wall – it put a big smile on my face. I haven’t spoken to him too much lately but I might give him a ring and get some advice off him about this club.”

Patrick also has a strong athletics background with his godfather the former Olympics 100m champion Linford Christie, and his father Adrian Patrick also a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 4x400m relay.

Patrick, though, said he always favoured football. He said: “I’m obviously from a family with strong athletics connections and I did join an athletics club when I was really young. I did enjoy it, but as soon as I got a ball at my feet that was all I wanted to do.

“My dad was a 400m runner, so I gave that a go and it was the only race I ever lost, so I told him I wasn’t doing that ever again! So I just concentrated on football. My dad didn’t mind, I think he quite likes the glory he’s got so I’ll just take the glory side for football in the family!”

Patrick took 29 minutes to get on the scoresheet in Tuesday’s 2-1 reserve defeat and his performance was praised by coach Eric Kinder.

The forward said he was pleased to get up and running in a United shirt. He said: “It was nice to get back out there because it’s been a while since I played my last game for Wrexham – it was probably about three or four weeks ago now, so it was good to get 80 minutes under my belt and I just want to start kicking on from here.

“It’s always nice to score, no matter what game it is, so I’m just glad I had the opportunity to do that. It felt good so I really wanted to celebrate, but I had to hold it in and hopefully I can celebrate a goal for the first team on Saturday if I can get into the team.

“Games like this really help because you aren’t just thrown straight into a first team game, you can get to know how people play. It was good to play with some of the young lads as well and be able to give them bits of advice and things like that.”

Patrick says he is looking for somewhere to live in the Carlisle area with his girlfriend after his whirlwind deadline-day move, which saw his move completed shortly before the transfer window closed.

He said: “It was a couple of days before deadline day when I first found out about the interest but it was getting blocked for some reason. I was just glad to get it done in the end, I got told to go and meet the gaffer at the team hotel in Mansfield late on Friday night, so I just got straight in my car.

“I’m happy it’s a permanent deal rather than a loan because it gives me time to get used to everything.

“With a loan until the end of the season you sometimes don’t have enough time to work with the gaffer and get used to the style of play and things like that. I obviously want to get on the pitch and go and score ten goals or whatever as quickly as possible, but it’s good to know in my head that I’ve got a certain amount of time to get settled in.

“To know that the gaffer wanted me around for 18 months was nice, and I read the things he said about me when I signed and they were good. I’m looking forward to him working with me to improve me.

“He wants me to show a lot of fight, he wants me to improve my strengths and work on other parts of my game, and he’s going to work with me to do that. He obviously wants me to hit the back of the net as much as I can, whether I’m playing on the wing or up top.”

Patrick has been reunited at Carlisle with former Bradford team-mates Callum Guy and Nathaniel Knight-Percival, and former Yeovil loan colleague Olufela Olomola.

He scored five goals in 10 games for Wrexham in the first half of this season and says his time in the National League has served him well.

He said: “My time at Wrexham was very useful in many ways. It was good to just get some game time into the legs, and I was playing as a striker which I wasn’t very used to.

“The National League is a tough league, so it was good for me to be the man up top and get some good experience doing that role while I was there.

“I learned a lot, and I scored goals, so it opened my mind to different positions and gave me confidence in myself because I know I can do it.”

Patrick admits he is looking forward to a first experience of Brunton Park this weekend.

He said: “It’s exciting, I’m looking forward to hopefully making my home debut.

“We know if we get a result against the team at the top of the league it will be massive for us, and we know anybody can beat anybody in this league.

“I think we’ll all have seen stranger things happen in football if we do get the win on Saturday, you never know what could happen.”

On his chances of playing, he added: “I think the club made eight signings in January so I know I’ve got to work hard to get into the team.

“Competition is always healthy, Josh Kayode is doing very well and hopefully I can play with him, but we’ve got a lot of good players in the forward positions.

“Nathan Thomas scored a hat-trick the other day, Harry McKirdy has scored goals, and even Fela [Olomola] has scored goals, so there is plenty of competition and I’m looking forward to it.”

Beech could have striker Ryan Loft (illness) back in the squad tomorrow after saying the Leicester loanee missed last weekend’s game with illness while midfielder Stefan Scougall (hamstring) is being assessed.