Former Celtic man completes summer transfer after Newcastle United contract snub - two-year deal signed

Jude Smith has joined League Two club Carlisle United following his release from Newcastle United.

The 21-year-old goalkeeper was not offered a new deal by The Magpies this summer after two-years at the club. Smith progressed through the ranks at Celtic before making his break in senior football with East Fife during the 2021-22 season.

His performances in the Scottish third tier earned him a move to Newcastle’s academy in 2022 following an initial trial period.

He now joins a Carlisle side looking to earn promotion back to League One following relegation. The deal is subject to ratification from the FA and EFL. Carlisle manager Paul Simpson told the club website following Smith’s arrival: “Jude is a goalkeeper we've had our eye on for a while. He was sought after when he left Scotland as a young lad but Newcastle won the race for him. 

"We've followed his progress since then so we're really pleased to get him in the building now. He's a good addition to the goalkeeping department and I'm quite sure he'll add good competition for Gabe and Harry. 

"We'll have a look at all three of them in pre-season, nobody is guaranteed to play. I'm sure people will look at squad numbers when they come out and make conclusions from those but they've all got to compete in pre-season. 

"They all need to show they deserve to be involved. If it's a case of the two younger ones who aren't playing, there's no point in them both sitting around, they need games to develop so we'll look at that and assess it as we're going along. They're all coming in to show us they want to work hard and do everything they can to be involved in the group." 

Smith confirmed his departure from Newcastle at the end of the 2023-24 campaign with a social media post. The young shot-stopper shared an image of himself at St James’ Park along with the caption: “Big thanks to all the @nufc staff and my teammates over the last 2 years, been full of ups and downs and made memories to last a lifetime been a pleasure. Howay the lads ⚫️⚪️.”