Defender Ian Harte has revealed the presence of manager Greg Abbott was one of the main reasons behind his decision to pen a two-year deal with Carlisle.

The 31-year-old worked with Abbott at Leeds and he had no hesitation in signing a new contract after ending the campaign at Brunton Park on a short-term deal.

He told the club`s official website: "Almost as soon as the season finished I was on the phone and talking to the gaffer, because I was always happy to come here.

"There`s a real desire to play the game properly here and that`s all you can ask for.

"I`m sure there probably were other clubs interested but that didn`t really matter to me.

"You have to look at everything and a big part of it was the fact that I knew the gaffer from his days at Leeds."