York City boss Nigel Worthington calls on contacts to land Josh Carson (From York Press)

York City boss Nigel Worthington calls on contacts to land Josh Carson

10:34am Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

YORK City manager Nigel Worthington has admitted that his contacts in the game helped him lure Northern Ireland international Josh Carson to Bootham Crescent.

Worthington made Ipswich Town midfielder Carson his first outfield signing as City chief, having agreed a loan deal with the Portman Road club until the end of the season.

Ipswich will be helping the Minstermen match 19-year-old Carson’s Championship wage during the next six weeks and Worthington added that Blues manager Mick McCarthy had been of great assistance during the transfer.

The City boss said: “The response I have been getting from managers at other clubs has been fantastic. People are willing to help and Ipswich have been very good to us.

“I know Mick McCarthy well and you need contacts in the game who you work with and, likewise, if somebody comes to you for help, you will do as long as it’s right for the football club. That’s what the game is about.”

Carson arrives at City having scored five goals in 31 Championship matches for Ipswich and with four full international caps to his name.

Having made his senior debut under Roy Keane, the Ballymena-born teenager went on to score a match-winning brace in only his third outing during a 2-1 triumph over Crystal Palace at the age of 17.

As Northern Ireland manager, Worthington gave Carson his first two chances to represent his country against the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

More recently, he has played under current coach Michael O’Neill during a 6-0 defeat to Holland last summer when Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder all played for the Dutch team and in a 3-3 draw against Finland earlier this season.

Carson is expected to go into City’s starting XI for tomorrow’s home match with promotion hopefuls Port Vale despite the last of his seven appearances this term coming in a 3-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at the end of October.

On his Championship recruit, Worthington said: “He has got good Championship and international experience for his age and he’s got a nice attitude. He’s got a good left foot and can play either side with lots of energy.

“I think he will be a good addition to the group and I would not have brought him in if he was not to be in contention tomorrow. He’s played for Ipswich a number of times from a young age so he’s no stranger to first-team football.

“He can deal with it and handle it and is a very assured young man, which is the type of player I like.”

Worthington added that he would still like to further strengthen his squad prior to next Thursday’s transfer deadline but, with six loan players now on the books in Carson, Michael Rankine, Jack O’Connell, John McGrath, Alex Rodman and Arron Jameson and only five permitted to play at any one time, he is wary of the limitations imposed on the club.

He said: “I would like to get a bit more strength in the midfield areas to add to what we have got. It would be nice to give us options in the striking department as well but that’s never an easy position to fill because, if a club has a goalscorer, then nine-point-nine times out of ten they want to keep him.

“We will look around and, if there’s somebody I think will suit us, then I will do it.

“It’s just about getting the right individual that we think will make a difference and add to the squad because I don’t want to clog up a system that doesn’t need to be clogged up.”

City will be without David McGurk (calf), Lanre Oyebanjo (calf), Michael Coulson (cruciate knee ligament) and Jon Challinor (broken leg) for tomorrow’s match with Worthington poised to field a 4-4-2 formation as he did during Tuesday night’s 0-0 home draw with Rochdale.

The former Norwich manager added: “We created half-chances that we could have done better with and we’ve got to keep working on that because, if you create, you have to finish. I think, with 4-4-2, you can create opportunities but it’s horses for courses at this stage of the season and we will be open-minded about changing systems if we need to do.”

Port Vale’s grip on an automatic promotion place has slipped in recent weeks following a run of four defeats in five matches but Worthington is taking little notice of the form-book, saying: “They’ve had a bit of a wobble but they are up there which shows they are a good team.

“I know Micky Adams well and they will be well-organised and well-drilled, but I like to focus on what we are doing. We have to be positive and look to get forward and do better with the final ball or cross.”