Former Carlisle United prospect on trial at Northampton Town

The ex-Blues youth product impressed on trial for Northampton Town in a pre-season outing.

McCarron, who is on Stoke City’s books, turned out for the Cobblers against Norwich City.

Northampton boss Jon Brady, despite not officially naming McCarron or any other trialists, did confirm that all those who featured for the Cobblers were having their chances weighed up.

“Everyone who was involved today is under consideration,” he told the Chronicle & Echo after the 3-0 home defeat to the Canaries. “We are having a look at all of them.”

Left-sided McCarron, 23, has been with Stoke since the summer of 2022 but has been limited to just one first-team appearance for the club.

McCarron made 20 appearances for Carlisle in 2018/19 before joining Leeds (Image: Barbara Abbott)

He made four appearances for Port Vale in a loan spell during the 2022/23 campaign but did not play a first-team game last term.

McCarron is not involved in Stoke’s pre-season trip to Cork. Northampton are set to go on their own pre-season training camp to Spain next week.

Preston-born McCarron, who grew up in Appleby, came through Carlisle’s youth ranks to make his debut at 17.

He made 20 first-team appearances for the Blues under successive managers John Sheridan and Steven Pressley in the 2018/19 season.

McCarron was then snapped up by Leeds in the summer of 2019, with fellow Blues teenager Josh Galloway also following him to Elland Road at a similar time.

He made four senior appearances for Leeds, including one in the Premier League against Arsenal, before moving on to Stoke.

The Potters will face Carlisle early in the 2024/25 season in the Carabao Cup first round at Brunton Park. Stoke’s manager is the former United loan midfielder Steven Schumacher, while ex-Blues loan goalkeeper Jack Bonham is also on their books.