Danny Graham says there was a “possibility” he could have rejoined Carlisle United in the summer - increasingly so had the Blues pushed harder for a deal.

The striker has spoken for the first time in an interview* with the News & Star about the “flirtations” he had with United in the last year.

Graham said he held positive discussions with former Blues head coach Chris Beech last winter about the possibility of training with the squad.

After such a link-up did not materialise, 36-year-old Graham said the idea was revived again in the summer, months after he had announced his retirement.

Graham said there was “some temptation” to consider reversing his decision to hang up his boots and come back to Brunton Park - but further talks soon fizzled out.

“In the summer, if it had been pursued a bit more, there was probably more of a possibility,” he said. “I was only a few months out of retirement.”

Graham, who starred for United from 2007-9 before going on to play for Watford, Swansea, Sunderland and Blackburn, said that, despite the summer conversations, it was his understanding that Beech quickly moved on to other targets because of how the winter discussions had panned out.

Speaking about the initial contact, which happened around the time in February that he decided to retire after his second spell at the Stadium of Light, Graham said: “About three days after retiring, I had Cardiff, Crewe and also Beechy on the phone, trying to get me to come over to Carlisle.

“It was very tempting, because of my time at Carlisle and what they did for my career at a young age.

“He [Beech] was great with me on the phone, saying, ‘Come in, train with us for three or four weeks, see how you feel’, but it never really came through, to be honest.”

There is a possibility the former striker could be at Brunton Park to watch Saturday's FA Cup tie against Horsham, while he plans to attend the following weekend’s league game against Barrow with some of his former Blues colleagues.

Graham, who is doing scouting work for a football agency, says he is happy in retirement but did not completely rule out the idea of making a playing return.

“I’d never say never,” he said. “But at the minute I’m happy and content in what I’m doing.”

*The full interview, in which Graham also looks back on his time with the Blues, will be available to News & Star subscribers on Friday morning.