Paul Simpson says he is keeping the faith with Jayden Harris as he tries to mould him into a first-team star at Carlisle United.

The former Fulham and Aldershot Town midfielder had a mixed first season with the Blues in 2022/23.

But after Harris struggled to make a lasting mark on the side last term, Simpson has stressed that the 23-year-old still has time to push through.

Harris has performed well in pre-season so far as he prepares for the second year of a three-year deal at Brunton Park.

Manager Simpson said: “We’re certainly seeing better from him. We’re seeing a lot more.

“He still has areas he needs to improve on but all through pre-season I’ve been saying that we need a big athletic midfielder, and we’ve maybe got one right under our noses.

“That’s why I want to stay with him. I want to stick by him and see where we can go with him.

“He is a project, he’s a young player who has all of the technical ability.

News and Star: Harris did not feature for United after February's win at Crawley - but has made an encouraging start to pre-seasonHarris did not feature for United after February's win at Crawley - but has made an encouraging start to pre-season (Image: Richard Parkes)

“He’s got a little bit of a nasty edge in him and he can run and work hard.

“He’s got it all – we’ve just got to try and mould it all into a player who can affect games on a consistent basis.”

Harris made 24 appearances for Carlisle last season, scoring one goal, after stepping up from National League outfit Aldershot.

That tally included three league starts and four more in the cups, while his first goal for the club came against Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup.

He did not make an appearance after February 25 as Simpson preferred other midfielders to drive the Blues to promotion.

United’s manager, though, says Harris can step up if he continues working on his game.

“It’s a different sort of challenge for somebody like Jayden because he’s all about athleticism and he constantly wants to drive forward, but sometimes when you’re tired you have to adjust your game a little bit,” said Simpson after Harris’ 90-minute outing against Livingston on Tuesday.

“We’ve spoken to him about not making all of those forward runs, maybe on occasions play with a bit of discipline and sit in to provide a bit of shape and cover. He did it well in [the Livingston] game.”