Carson has yet to make his first-team debut for parent club Sunderland

Goalkeeper Trevor Carson says he would be keen on a long-term stay at Lincoln City after extending his current loan.

Carson, who played nine times in his initial month's loan from Sunderland, will remain at Lincoln until 23 April.

He told BBC Lincolnshire: "I'm so happy here because getting into a Premier League side for a young keeper is hard.

"I would more than welcome an opportunity to come back next season, they're putting a great squad together and I'd love to be part of it."

Carson, 22, has been a regular in Sunderland's reserves and received a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad but has yet to make his first-team debut for the Black Cats, with Scotland international Craig Gordon and Belgian Simon Mignolet ahead of him in the reckoning at the Stadium of Light.

I want to be playing on a Saturday and I've got to be realistic... I don't just want to be on the bench Trevor Carson

He added: "You can't beat playing games and I've got a taste for it again. I got a taste of it on loan at Chesterfield a couple of years ago but then didn't play a [first-team] game for two years and that's not going to happen again.

"I need to be playing games and, as silly as it sounds, I need to make mistakes in games and learn from them. I'm the type of player who's not happy sitting on the bench.

"I want to be playing on a Saturday and I've got to be realistic. Whether it's League Two, League One, the Championship or the Premier League I'm happy to play football on a Saturday, I don't just want to be on the bench."

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