Carlisle United have turned to 55-year-old Keith Millen as their new manager.

But who is the man charged with leading the Blues away from trouble in League Two?

Here we profile the new Brunton Park boss.

Croydon-born Millen spent the early stages of his playing days with Southampton and Crystal Palace as an apprentice.

He then joined Brentford where the defender carved out a substantial 11-year career.

At Griffin Park from 1983 to 1994, he made more than 300 appearances.

His time with the club included a run to the final of the Associate Members' Cup - now the Papa John's Trophy - in 1984/5, where the Bees lost to Wigan.

He enjoyed league success with Brentford in 1991/2 when he helped Phil Holder's team win the Division Three title.

Having been a team-mate of Dean Holdsworth with the Bees, his move to Watford in 1994 saw him play alongside David Holdsworth, Dean's twin who is now director of football at Carlisle.

Watford were relegated in 1996 but bounced back two years later as third-tier champions.

And Millen helped them to back-to-back promotions in the 1998/9 season, although he did not play in the play-off final against Bolton when former Blues men Nick Wright and Allan Smart scored the Hornets' goals.

Millen's five-year spell at Vicarage Road, which saw more than 160 appearances, ended that year, as he moved on to Bristol City.

He captained the Robins where his four-year stint included a run to the 2000 Auto-Windscreens Shield final, where Bristol City lost 2-1 to a Stoke side whose scorer included future Blues manager Graham Kavanagh.

Millen's playing career, which saw more than 500 first-team appearances, ended when he retired in 2003 as he went on to become under-17s manager at Ashton Gate.

In 2004 he was appointed assistant manager to Brian Tinnion, stepping up as caretaker boss the following year after Tinnion's departure.

He oversaw two games - a draw and a defeat - in that short spell in League One.

Millen remained at Ashton Gate and was called into the caretaker hotseat again in 2010 after Steve Coppell's departure.

He steered the Robins to five wins and three draws from nine games in the Championship and was later handed the permanent reins on a three-year deal.

Millen was in charge for 14 months, a spell which brought a slow start before improving to a 15th-placed finish.

He then parted company with the Robins after a poor start to the 2011/12 campaign with the team bottom of the Championship after taking six points from 10 games.

Millen then moved to Blackpool to take up the role of head of coaching and development in July 2012.

It was at Bloomfield Road where he met Ian Holloway, who later took Millen to Crystal Palace as his No2 that November.

Millen became a trusted part of the backroom staff at Selhurst Park - and had three spells in caretaker charge between 2013-15.

He worked under managers such as Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock and Alan Pardew at Palace, and was involved in their run to the FA Cup final in 2016, before leaving in 2017.

After roles with Tottenham and Portsmouth, Millen joined MK Dons as assistant manager to Dan Micciche in January 2018.

Micciche's departure three months later saw Millen put in caretaker charge at stadium mk, before leaving the club when Paul Tisdale was appointed manager that summer.

In 2019 Millen went overseas to become first-team coach and Under-21s manager at Swedish club Halmstads BK after a recommendation from former England boss Roy Hodgson, who had managed the club.

He then had a year-long spell as manager of another Swedish club, Orgryte IS.

Millen, interviewed at the time by ITV, said he hoped managing abroad would help enhance his CV and "reinvent" himself with a view to further opportunities back home.

"I am hoping I can come over here and be successful, which will hopefully open more doors for me, whether it’s over here or in England,” he said.

His time there came to an end last winter - and now the door has opened for Millen at Brunton Park.

Millen's LinkedIn page sees the 55-year-old list his career achievements and credentials:

"I am a hugely experienced football coach who has played a key role in team success at multiple clubs through my tactical knowledge, playerfocused man-management and commitment to talent development. With 17 years’ experience as a coach and a 20 year professional playing career, I have been involved in five promotions, five play-off finals and a FA Cup final.

"Most recently the Assistant Manager and frequent Caretaker Manager of Crystal Palace FC for more than four years, I played a key role in the club’s promotion winning season and subsequent sustained period of Premier League football while simultaneously supporting the progression of young players through my experience as an Academy Manager at Bristol City FC.

"Throughout my career I have demonstrated my club loyalty and a commitment to contributing to long term team success. I have coached and played for only five clubs over the course of a 34-year career in the game, and am able to adapt to changing managers, players and club objectives while maintaining a focus on a driven, positive and unified football environment.

I have worked under several highly successful managers in the game as well as performing effectively as a manager of Bristol City under challenging conditions. Combined with my time in academy football, I possess the ideal level of knowledge and understanding of building a winning culture to now excel across a number of positions for an ambitious club."