Former Carlisle United striker Billy Paynter will be in the dugout at Brunton Park later this season.

The ex-frontman has been promoted to assist new manager Darrell Clarke at Port Vale.

The new Vale Park boss confirmed in his first press conference that Paynter had been called up from his youth coaching role.

The 36-year-old will join former caretaker boss Danny Pugh as part of Clarke's backroom team.

"Danny will be assisting me, Billy Paynter will be assisting me as well after stepping up from the youth team," Clarke said.

"I will be working with those boys assessing not just the coaching staff, but everything over the coming weeks."

Clarke left Walsall in order to take the helm at the 19th-placed Valiants, who face United at Brunton Park on April 17.

Former Vale striker Paynter has been professional development phase lead coach at the Burslem club since last October.

The ex-Swindon and Doncaster forward was with United during a chequered 2014/15 campaign, making 21 appearances and scoring twice.

His solitary league goal for the Cumbrians came in the 2-0 win over Plymouth which secured League Two survival.

Paynter left the following summer for Hartlepool before hitting out at the way he said he had been treated by Blues boss Keith Curle.

The striker along with midfielder Gary Dicker - who also scored against Plymouth that day - had been at the centre of a row over extra training which saw the PFA involved.