Steven Rudd has thanked the Carlisle United academy staff who have stepped up whilst he and his fellow coaches are in first-team caretaker charge.

Academy manager Rudd and under-18 coaches Mark Birch and Jamie Devitt are in interim control of the senior side after Paul Simpson’s departure.

Rudd, Birch and Devitt have not been neglecting their youth duties even whilst on the first-team scene, the three having attended an under-18 game at Creighton hours before their first game in charge of the senior XI on Tuesday.

They are, though, grateful for extra help from coaches in the academy to shoulder some of the workload.

“There are staff internally that have stepped up – John Foley [youth development lead phase coach] and Chris Blake [head of academy coaching] have helped with the under-18 training, they've been involved in it,” Rudd said.

“Jamie, Mark and myself were up at the under-18s game on Tuesday afternoon, just because we want continuity for them – we don't want it being a big upheaval for them, with us being taken away.

“Academy-wise I’ll be up at Dalston on Thursdays at the schoolboy programme. We want it to continue as normal as it can for them.

Chris BlakeChris Blake (Image: News & Star)

“But we understand that our jobs, the three of us, is to get three points at Bradford.

“So the academy staff have been brilliant. They've really stepped up. We know that if we're doing something with the first team, things are as normal with the academy.

“It’s credit to the staff. In times of adversity, it galvanises people, it brings people together – you're in it together, and sometimes it can bring the best out of you in a bad situation.”

United’s under-18s claimed a 3-2 win over Preston North End on Tuesday thanks to goals from Oliver Penney, Jonah Lowes and Trent Chapman, with keeper Casey Silitoe saving a late Preston penalty.

This weekend the youth side are at home to Stockport County.