Carlisle United have awarded Jon Mellish a new deal - weeks after rejecting a bid for the long-serving favourite.

Defender Mellish is now contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2027.

He had already signed an extended deal the previous summer which was due to run to 2026.

But he has now further extended his commitment to the Brunton Park club.

The 26-year-old has been with United since 2019 and has long been one of the most durable and versatile players in the squad, as well as a fan favourite.

The News & Star revealed last month that Carlisle had rebuffed a bid - believed to have come from Wigan Athletic - for Mellish early in the summer.

Manager Paul Simpson told us that the offer from the club, who United did not name, was nowhere near the level where it would have been considered.

Speaking on the club website after the contract news, Simpson said: "I'm delighted. It's always a tricky one because there was an enquiry to try and take Jon away to a higher level.

"I'm not going to name the club, and it unsettles players, so I had a conversation with Jon and we wanted him to be assured that he's a big part of what we want to do moving forward as a football club.

"We've extended his contract just so that he knows he's a big part of it, and I'm delighted because his record for us while I've been at the club has been fantastic, it gives us real versatility.

"Jon loves it here, he wants to stay, so it gives us that opportunity to have him around for the next few years."

Mellish joined the Blues from Gateshead under Steven Pressley in the summer of 2019, and has made 219 appearances for the club, scoring 30 goals.

He has played in a range of positions in that time, featuring in defence, midfield and attack.