Teenage midfielder Josh Galloway has left Carlisle United and today signed for Championship side Leeds on an undisclosed fee.

The move has seen Blues boss Steven Pressley hit out at the "system" which sees young players leave clubs like Carlisle without having made the first-team breakthrough. 

Galloway, 17, joined United’s academy system at Under-10 level and featured in the Blues' first-team pre-season schedule this summer.

He started the friendly fixtures against Fleetwood Town and Tranmere Rovers, and scored at Penrith AFC.

United were keen to tie Galloway to a longer-term contract after securing fellow youth players Jarrad Branthwaite and Taylor Charters.

But it is understood Galloway was keen to move on once Leeds' interest was firmly on the table.

Glasgow-born Galloway follows Liam McCarron in leaving United for the Elland Road club.

"It's something that disappoints me," said Blues boss Pressley.

"I have said this before, and I mean this, that although I want to promote our young players from within the club, we have to keep our young players.

"We have to develop a situation where our supporters are seeing them for long periods of time. At this moment in time, with both McCarron and young Josh, we are not seeing the development of the player.

"It's hard to accept, but it's circumstances of the system to a degree.

"I spoke with young Josh on two occasions and I told him to speak to his parents on this, and I expressed the fact that I didn't want him to leave the club. I wanted him to develop here and play football here.

"I thought that was the best line for his development, but he wasn't in agreement with that."

Pressley added: "Eric [Kinder, Academy manager] also spoke to him to try to convince him [to stay], but it wasn't to be.

"But the system has created a situation now where you have young players that I don't even think need to earn a contract, and the club are under pressure to give them contracts.

"In my [playing] days, you had to earn the right to a contract. Now, if we don't protect a young player that's had a couple of good games in a week, we are in danger of losing them.

"That's what the system is creating. It's incredible and it's not right.

"We have managed to tie-up [Taylor] Charters and protect our asset with that, and young Jarrad Branthwaite.

"We offered a contract to Josh which was declined and then you are in a position where, if you don't negotiate what you consider to be a good offer and an offer that gives the opportunity to earn money as he progresses in his career, then you in danger of losing him to a minimal amount of money through a tribunal."

When asked if he was happy at how Leeds had gone about signing Galloway, Pressley replied: "I don't believe that they have behaved wrongly at all, no.

"I have not been dealing with it, it's all been David [Holdsworth, director of football] and Leeds, and all that aspect is nothing to do with me.

"But I'm just disappointed to lose a good, young, player."

The transfer remains subject to the clearance of all necessary paperwork.