Carlisle United boss Steven Pressley has admitted a Brunton Park return for Aston Villa youngster Callum O'Hare is 'unlikely', as reported by the News and Star.

21-year-old O'Hare was a surprise capture by the Cumbrians. Having made an FA Cup outing for Villa in January, he made the switch up north shortly after and helped push Pressley's side towards a play-off place.

The former England Under 20 international bagged three times in 16 matches, adding quality and guile to the Carlisle attack. They ended up finishing 11th in the table, but if they want to improve on that they will have to do so without O'Hare.

“I was in and met with Dean Smith and the sporting director at Villa, and we spoke about O’Hare and others," Pressley admitted.

“O’Hare is an unlikely one. We’d never close the door, but it’s unlikely."

It's suggested that Aston Villa will look to loan the forward out, but that they prefer a move to a higher level, either League One or the Championship following their promotion to the Premier League.

It's not all bad news for Carlisle though, as Pressly confirmed they are in the running for Sheffield United wide man Nathan Thomas.

“Thomas is different. I spoke to him over the summer and David [Holdsworth, Carlisle’s director of football] has made two offers on Thomas, one only in the last couple of days.

“We’re pursuing Thomas. He’s definitely a player I would like to bring back."

The Verdict

No real surprise here; O'Hare looked class for Carlisle and unlike Rushian Hepburn-Murphy at Cambridge, he adapted quickly to the challenges of League Two.

It's not a division that affords players time on the ball, with lots of high-press, high-intensity teams wanting to work hard for each other. That environment can swamp a young player, but O'Hare looked at ease and effective.

He created goals, scored goals and showed his pedigree.

There isn't a huge surprise in the fact Villa want him playing at a higher level. He's suited to League One and a promotion-chasing side such as Rotherham or Ipswich could benefit from having his vibrancy and energy in their side.