Mellish,
21, a Gateshead College graduate, came through the under-19 system with the
Heed and also enjoyed a loan spell with Ebac Northern League First Division
outfit Newcastle Benfield as he cut his teeth in the game.
The
left-footed centre-back, who can play a number of roles, made his first-team
debut in the final game of the 2016/17 National League season and was
subsequently offered a full contract with the club.
The
young defender made a total of 58 appearances for his home-town team, scoring
twice, and made his debut for the England C squad in a 1-0 victory over the
Estonia under-23 side in October 2018.
His
superb performances in the Heed’s back line last season saw him awarded young player
of the year.
Carlisle
manager Steven Pressley told the club’s website: “The first thing about this
signing is that it isn’t easy to find good left-sided central defenders.
“The
second thing is that at the age of 21 he played 46 games in the Conference last
season and he picked up the award that he got at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday
because of how he did in those games.
“We’ve
watched him a number of times live and we’re really pleased that we’ve got this
one over the line. He had a number of clubs who wanted to speak to him but he’s
listened to what we had to say and he thinks this is the right step for him.
“I
genuinely think he’s a young man who has huge potential and it’s about us now
working together to bring that out of him. There’s no better time than
pre-season for that to start and I know he’s looking forward to it as well.”
“I’ve
spoken to him about what we expect from him and, I have to say, that I think
he’s had a great schooling in the game with having played in a very good
Conference team,” he added. “It’s a tough league and he now understands what it
takes to do your job against strong, aggressive attackers.
“He’s
experienced first-hand the basics of football and that’s really important in a
defender’s development. He now has a platform to build on in terms of what
comes next and we’re looking forward to helping him to go to the next level”. |