Former Carlisle United goalkeeper Dan Hanford returns to Brunton Park as coach Steve Collis leaves

The 30-year-old has joined the Blues as goalkeeping coach after the departure of Steve Collis.

The latter's exit from the club has been officially confirmed with the situation having developed behind the scenes recently.

Carlisle said Collis had found the travelling to Cumbria increasingly difficult as he turned down the offer of a new deal.

And United have now turned to Hanford - who played for the club from 2014-16 - to fill the vacancy in the club's backroom staff.

Hanford has most recently been playing for Southport but Carlisle stressed he has joined in a coaching capacity, and that they are still seeking another keeper to compete with Magnus Norman.

Head coach Chris Beech said the fact Hanford - who was once a youth player at Rochdale under the Blues boss - was based in Carlisle was a key factor in his appointment.

"If there’s one thing I’ve been able to do since I came here with the support staff is get them Carlisle based," Beech said on the club website.

“I think that’s important because it allows the players to be able to access the players and the staff more readily.

"Greg Short [fitness coach], Jacob Blain [analyst] and now Dan Hanford all live within a mile or two of our ground, and I do think that’s really important."

Steve Collis (photo: Richard Parkes)

Beech said he wants Hanford - who has been on the training ground during the start of pre-season training - to develop as a coach as well as work with United's keepers, including Norman and promising youth keepers Gabriel Breeze and Scott Simons.

“Dan was a bit gutted when I initially rang him because I think he got excited thinking that he could be one of our goalkeepers,” he added.

“But I said to him that he was going to have to take his foot off the gas that way.

“He’s ambitious, he’s young, he’s energised and he can still play, but ultimately I want him to look at how he goes about improving himself and our keepers. He’ll do that by becoming detailed and very good at coaching.

“I’ve said to Dan that he can get on the fast-track, get his qualifications and go for it, because you never know what can happen if you become very good at what you do.”

On Collis, who had joined as goalkeeping coach last year after the departure of Craig Wight, Beech said: “Steve was offered a new contract but I think overall, with travel and things like that, in terms of getting here on a daily basis, it was difficult.

“He did come in a lot with me, to be fair, from the Tickled Trout [near Preston], but it does take its toll. Putting everything into his personal pot he decided it was time to take a look at something else.

“I thank him for all of his hard work, he’s a very good coach and he was excellent with our goalkeepers."

Beech said United "100 per cent" wanted to sign another keeper, despite the exciting progress being made by teenagers Breeze and Simons.

It follows the summer departure of Paul Farman to Barrow.

"We definitely need, and we are actively seeking, another keeper," Beech added. "As I said the other day, we have actually spoken to two recently. I met one last week, but that didn’t happen.

“I don’t mind staying patient because it will always be about getting the right person into the mix.”

Hanford made 33 appearances for United after joining in the summer of 2014, the majority in the 2014/5 campaign under Keith Curle.