Defender Macaulay Gillesphey has left Carlisle United, saying he feels he is in "need of a different kind of challenge" in his career.

Gillesphey, 23, signed for the Blues last summer on a two-year deal but missed much of the second-half of the 2018/19 season after having knee surgery and today has become a free agent.

He first joined the Cumbrians in 2015, alongside Alex Gilliead, on loan from Newcastle. A year later, he re-joined on a half-season loan which was extended until the end of the 2017/18 campaign that January, before signing for Carlisle on a permanent basis in June last year.

He said: "I’m not sure what I’m going to do next but I’ve spoken to David [Holdsworth, director of football] and Steven [Pressley, manager] about the fact that I’m at a stage and an age where I feel I need a different kind of challenge.

"The club has been great, so there are a couple of things I’m looking at now as I decide what to do next.

"It does feel sad to be driving away from Brunton Park for the last time because I’ve played all of my football here.

"The fans have been superb with me from the first day I arrived just under four years ago, so I’ll definitely miss the place.

"I’ve learned a heck of a lot because I’ve been a wing-back, a left-back, a centre-back, and I’ve played a few other positions on top of that, and I suppose the only disappointment is that we didn’t manage to make the step up to the next level during my time here, even though we came close a couple of times.

"I’d like to thank everybody for the support they’ve given me these past few years and I hope to see the club getting the success it deserves next season."