Teenage Carlisle United striker Sam Fishburn has joined Blyth Spartans on loan.

The 18-year-old has linked up with the National League North club for three months.

Manager Paul Simpson has sent Fishburn to the forward’s native north east for first-team experience.

It is a second loan of the tall Gateshead-born frontman’s young career, after a positive spell at Lancaster City last season.

Fishburn will play at Croft Park under manager Terry Mitchell – a former Newcastle United colleague of Simpson.

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The Carlisle boss hopes the move will give Fishburn some valuable first-team football in order to push him closer to the senior reckoning at Brunton Park.

It comes after an injury-interrupted pre-season for the youth team product.

“It’s a really good standard with a really competitive level of football, with a manager I came across working in the academy when I was at Newcastle,” Simpson.

“So it’s somebody I trust to look after him and get him up to speed, because Sam has missed a lot of pre-season and just needs to go and play football.

“He's gone past youth team football but he’s not quite there where we want him to be for our first team.

“He’s just got to go and show us that he can get to that level.”

Fishburn will hope to make an impact for Blyth when their league campaign gets under way against Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday week.

His team-mates at Blyth will include the former Carlisle players Alex Mitchell, Nathan Buddle, Michael Liddle and Josh Gillies.

The teenager, after a prolific spell with Lancaster in the early stages of last season, returned to make his first-team Blues debut amid 15 senior outings in 2021/22.

His Blyth move comes with a recall clause after the first 28 days.

It is a second loan deal in the space of 24 hours involving a young United player.

On Thursday the Cumbrians agreed a half-season move for defender Max Kilsby to Annan Athletic.

Simpson said the opportunity to develop under Annan boss and ex-Carlisle star Peter Murphy in Scottish League Two was a valuable one for 18-year-old first-year pro Kilsby.

“When you’re sending young players out on loan you have to strike a balance so they’re playing games,” Simpson said.

“There’s no point me sending them to a higher level where they’re not going to be playing.

“Max has got a really good opportunity at Annan, at a good standard with someone I trust looking after him in Murph.”