League Two club reveal approach for Diamond
Carlisle United boss Chris Beech has revealed that he made an approach to sign Jack Diamond this summer – having hailed the Sunderland youngster after his midweek showing.
Diamond netted the fifth and final goal in the Black Cats’ 5-2 win against the Cumbrians in the EFL Trophy, but things could have been different had Beech’s approach yielded a different response.
The Carlisle manage r m ad e h i s m ove fo r th e 20-year-old shortly after the two sides faced-off in pre-season, but Phil Parkinson has long-maintained that Diamond will remain at the Stadium of Light this season.
That left Beech to watch on in awe as the Gatesheadborn youngster put in a fine display on Tuesday evening.
Speaking to the News & Star, Beech said: “When Brennan Dickenson pulled h i s h a m s tr i n g at Su n d e r - land in pre-season, I rang their manager Phil Parkinson to thank him for the preseason game, and enquired about Diamond, who’d been at Harrogate.
“You could see the othe r d ay t h e d i f f e re n c e i n that he’s had that extra 12 months.
"I k n ow h e’s o l d e r, but he’s been out, on loan, done really well for Harrogate to h e l p th e m get p ro m ote d , then he scores that last goal against Lewi Bell trying to track him.
“Yo u c o u l d s e e i n D i a - mond, his resolute, consistent way he plays.
"Jack Armer did brilliant against him, he didn’t have it his own way at all, then when we took risk to try and get the equaliser [at 4-3] there wa s a gap o n th e f a r s i d e which Lewi had to cover, and Diamond took advantage.”