Former Carlisle United favourite Richard Prokas has re-registered as a player – at the age of 47.

The ex-Blues midfielder has joined the playing ranks at Penrith, where he is assistant manager.

Prokas has been named as a substitute in recent games for the Northern League Division One club.

The famously tough-tackling former United star has stepped in at a time Penrith have seen their squad depleted.

Manager Darren Edmondson, his former Brunton Park team-mate, says Penrith-born Prokas remains in great shape and was immediately willing to step up.

“We’ve been short of players, so he did register,” said Edmondson, who has been missing some senior players through holidays.

“I knew through the summer and potentially through one or two games in the season we might need to put an extra body on the bench.

“We needed to cover all bases. He’s going to be available most weeks. To register him was a no-brainer because of these scenarios…

“There’s no qualms about his fitness. He looks leaner now than he did when he played…

“I presume he would go down as the oldest player to play in that league if he ever does get on.”

News and Star: Prokas pictured in action for Carlisle against Arsenal in 2001Prokas pictured in action for Carlisle against Arsenal in 2001 (Image: Mike Scott)

Prokas – whose stepson Cameron is also in the Penrith squad – could again be among the subs at his former ground this weekend when the Bonny Blues use Carlisle’s Brunton Park for their FA Vase first qualifying round tie against Pickering Town.

Edmondson says he does not know whether he will need to call on Prokas to play in the coming weeks.

But he says he values having him available.

“It’s good for him to be about the lads, and getting stuck into them in training,” said Edmondson.

“He says if we ever need to use him he’ll be fine. He did alright in the charity game at Frenchfield in the summer…but we’d have to cross that bridge if we came to it...

“What you don’t want to do is get to the last 10-15 minutes and not be able to make a sub because you’ve run out of bodies.

“He’s running in there, getting changed quickly and trying to get in the manager’s eye!”

Prokas came through the youth ranks at Carlisle was part of the teams that earned promotion in 1995 and 1997 and reached Wembley twice in the Auto-Windscreens Shield.

He was with the Blues until 2001, making 248 appearances for the club before going on to play for Cambridge United, Workington Reds and Gretna.

Prokas was also joint manager at Penrith from 2008-10 alongside James Tose, and returned to the club as Edmondson’s No2 in July.