Cumbrians sign Iron winger Hurst

Hurst cost Scunthorpe �200,000 when he joined from Sheffield United in 2007

Carlisle United have signed Scunthorpe United winger Kevan Hurst for a fee which could rise to £145,000.

Hurst, 23, agreed a two-year deal at Brunton Park and is excited by the prospect of first-team football.

"I spoke to [manager] Greg Abbott we've agreed good terms so I'm happy that I'm here," Hurst told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"I needed to be playing football, it's a great opportunity for me up at Carlisle, there's a good squad and they've got great ambitions."

The Chesterfield-born winger joined the Iron from Sheffield United in 2007 for £200,000 and has since made 61 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.

Prior to his move to Glanford Park, the versatile midfielder also spent time on loan at Boston, Stockport and Chesterfield, and is looking forward to the possibility of pulling on the shirt against Stockport on Tuesday.

"I'm just happy to be playing football, I hope to impress the fans, score a few goals and just want to get on that pitch," he said.

"Hopefully, I will work hard and do my best, I don't think it will take me long to get going. I'm ambitious, I want to work hard, I want to win games and I want to create goals and score goals, and I hope that it happens right away."

Cumbrians' manager Greg Abbott was delighted to have added the winger, who replaces Brentford-bound Cleveland Taylor in his squad, and revealed to BBC Radio Cumbria that he has come close to adding further bodies to his line-up.

"I'm pleased, we've been patient, we've been waiting to bring the right players in and we think Kevan fits the bill," he said.

"He's got a terrific background at this level, with two promotions at Scunthorpe and we know he's going to come in and improve our side.

"We're in a position we can't just go and buy, we've got to hunt behind the eight-ball and hunt players that people don't know about very quickly.

"We were chasing Jay O'Shea, the player who has joined Birmingham City and played in the Premier League, for three months, and we were minutes from his signature.

"That's where we are, but Birmingham got alerted to our interest, took him on because they can afford to take chances and we lost out and that would have been another terrific signing for the club. That's the work that's going on."