Carlisle City have announced a triple signing – including some former Carlisle United youngsters – as they prepare for the new season.

Annan Athletic’s ex-Blues youth defender Roan Steele has joined the Gillford Park club.

He is joined by former Gretna 2008 defender Jack Dickinson.

And Steele's fellow Annan man Rob McCartney has also rejoined City for a second spell,

The trio will bolster Jim Nichols' ranks for their second season in Northern League Division One.

Steele joins after two years under Peter Murphy at Annan, the 20-year-old making 16 appearances in their promotion campaign in 2022/23.

He was a substitute in their play-off semi-final second leg against Dumbarton, after which Annan went on to beat Clyde to secure promotion to League One for the first time in their history.

Striker McCartney had been on Annan’s books since 2021, scoring eight goals in 62 appearances in league and cup.

He had previously enjoyed an impressive spell with Carlisle City, scoring a club record 86 goals in his previous time with them, and will now aim to fire Nichols’ side to success in 2023/24.

Whitehaven-born defender Dickinson, a former Carlisle United academy player, has left Gretna after a year at Raydale Park.

He has had previous spells with Penrith and Dalbeattie Star.

The Northern League Division One fixtures were revealed on Tuesday as City and Penrith learned their opening opponents.

Darren Edmondson’s Penrith will start with a trip to Whitley Bay, while Carlisle City go to Tow Law Town, both on Saturday, July 29.

The Cumbrian sides meet in the first of two league derbies on Boxing Day with City the hosts at the Three Rivers Healthy & Safety Consultancy Stadium.

Penrith then entertain City at the Leo Group Stadium – which is having a new artificial pitch laid this summer – on April 1.

The respective clubs’ full fixture lists can be found HERE and HERE