Striker Brad Young's loan at Carlisle United has ended and he has returned to parent club Aston Villa.

The Blues tonight confirmed that the teenage frontman would be heading back to Villa Park.

It is the third departure in two days as boss Keith Millen prepares to further reshape his squad at United.

Young, 18, signed a season-long loan deal in August and made 20 appearances, scoring three goals.

United manager Millen is expected to add new attacking faces to his squad at Brunton Park soon.

Young's departure follows those of loan defender Jonathan Dinzeyi, who returned to Arsenal, and home-grown midfielder Keelan Leslie, who has been released at he end of his half-season contract.

Young's goals for the Blues came against Horsham in the FA Cup and against Everton's Under-21s in the Papa John's Trophy.

He also scored in penalty shoot-out victories in the Trophy.

Millen, speaking on the club website, said: “Brad is a lad I’ve enjoyed working with. He puts in the effort in training and responded well when I first came into the club.

"I started him and Tristan [Abrahams] in the first few games and he worked really hard. He struggled to score the goals, but we’ve struggled to get goals from all of our forwards this season.

“I felt that I need to freshen up my front line. I couldn’t guarantee him a starting place, but that’s the same for everyone.

"I spoke to Aston Villa a number of times and we discussed what was best for the player and his future.

"We mutually agreed that if he wasn’t going to get enough game time then it would be best for him to go back to Villa.

“It’s hard for an 18-year-old lad to be so far away from home but not be playing as much as he would like, I understand that, and I wouldn’t want anyone to be up here and not happy.

“We obviously wish him well. It will be a good experience for him, it’s his first loan and whether he looks back on it as a good or bad experience, he’ll definitely have learned from it.

"I’m sure if he keeps working hard he’s got a bright future.”