Scougall joins up

Last updated : 31 January 2019 By Paddock Pundit

Carlisle United have today signed midfielder Stefan Scougall on a short-term deal which keeps him at Brunton Park until the end of the current campaign.

Scougall, 26, played under current boss Steven Pressley at Fleetwood between March and June 2016, helping the club to retain their League One status, as he made nine important appearances for the Highbury outfit, bagging a goal in a 1-1 draw with Oldham along the way.

The United boss said: "We're getting a high energy and very creative player with this signing.

"He can also score goals and that's important in terms of the way I want to play. Our two attacking midfield players and our front three must score goals, and Stefan fits into that forward thinking mould.

"I think he's a good acquisition and he's a player I've liked for a long, long time. He was a very effective player up in Scotland, which got him his move to Sheffield, and he did particularly well there in League One.

"He played for me at Fleetwood and he was excellent for me there. I've stayed in touch with him and I've monitored his progress, because we have a very good relationship, and when he became available he was somebody I wanted to make a move for quickly."

"We were in a tough situation at Fleetwood but he helped the team and he showed how much of a good character he is," he continued. "He's a lad that just loves to play football and he has an infectious personality. 

"He's one who looks after himself so I know he's ready to step up straight away, even though the situation at St Johnstone was that he hasn't been playing. He's kept himself in excellent condition and he's played in the reserve games they've had.

"That epitomises his attitude and I think he's a player the supporters will grow to love. As I've said on numerous occasions, I want players who want to be here, and he definitely wants to be here.

"There were a number of options he could have pursued but he enjoyed playing under me and I think that will have had a bearing on his decision. He trusts me, I trust him, and he knows he's coming to a manager he feels comfortable with. 

"I honestly think we've made a terrific signing and I'm looking forward to working with him again. There's real competition in that area of the pitch now and that can only be exciting for us all."

The all-action midfielder started his career as a youngster with Hibs and Dunfermline before being snapped up by Livingston, joining the West Lothian club full-time in 2010 just before he made the decision to move away from playing football.

He was part of the Livi team that sealed the Scottish Second Division title during his first season with the club, and became a regular at Almondvale the following year.

Scougall's continued good performances for Livingston saw him attract the attention of scouts from south of the border and, in January 2014, he joined Sheffield United on a three-and-a-half-year-deal for an undisclosed fee.

Managerial changes and new signings limited his playing time and, after his loan-spell with Fleetwood Town, he moved to join St Johnstone during the summer of 2017.

He made 27 first-team appearances in his debut season with Saints but was given the nod to look for another opportunity ahead of the current transfer window.

This deal remains subject to the clearance of all necessary paperwork.