Kane comes highly recommended to Carlisle boss Greg Abbott

Carlisle United have signed Blackburn Rovers defender Tony Kane on loan until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old Belfast-born right-back had a spell on-loan at Carlisle's League One rivals Stockport County earlier this season.

Carlisle boss Greg Abbott said: "He's come to us highly recommended and we're pleased that we've got him.

"Hopefully he will come here and enjoy his football and develop himself further with us."

A product of Blackburn's academy side, Kane was a regular for the club's reserve team before signing a two-year contract in 2006.

He joined Stockport on loan in November 2006 before joining Belgian side Cercle Brugge on another loan deal in January 2007, where was voted man of the match by fans on his debut in a 2-0 win a debut against Zulte Waregem.

This is one that we hope will develop in to a permanent deal Carlisle boss Greg Abbott

"I have seen him play, Dennis Booth [first-team coach] has seem him twice, Eric Kinder [reserve and youth coach] has worked very closely with him and I have also spoken to Glynn Hodges, who worked with him at Blackburn, and heard some excellent things about the lad, " added Abbott.

"The references coming in about him, as both a player and a person, are exactly what you want to hear and this is one that we hope will develop in to a permanent deal.

"He's a very good athlete, he uses the ball well and he can cover right across the defence."

Kane initially represented Northern Ireland at both Under-18 and Under-19 levels before playing for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s during the 2006-07 season, making five appearances.

He subsequently switched allegiances back to Northern Ireland where he became a regular member of the Under-21s squad during the qualifying rounds for the 2009 European Championships.

In November 2007, Kane was called up to the senior Northern Ireland squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Latvia and Iceland.

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