No Fleetwood Town exit for former Carlisle loan star Ashley Nadesan as boss Joey Barton targets contract discussions

Nadesan, who will be out of contract in the summer, has returned from a nine-goal loan spell at League Two club Carlisle United and has gone straight into Barton’s first team.

Nadesan, 24, has started the last four matches in Town’s front three and The Gazette understands a return to Carlisle is not on the cards.

The rules allow players to feature for no more than two clubs in one season, meaning Nadesan could not join any club other than Carlisle today.

The striker joined Town from non-league side Horley Town in the summer of 2016 but only made his league debut for the club this month.

Barton stressed he has not recalled the striker simply to sign him up to a fresh deal and then sell him on.

He wants to give the forward a chance of making it as a first-team player at Highbury.

Barton said: “I don’t know what had gone on before but clearly it was not favourable, so they ended up in a situation where his contract has got a year to run.

“I’ve been transparent with Nadders. I thought it was best for him to get a loan.

“He went on loan, has done well and has come back in.

“I said that if you go out on loan and do well, you will come back as a first-team player.

“I think I have been true to my word on that. Over the last few games he has done really well.

“When he came back, I didn't say, ‘You have to do this or you won’t play'. That is not my style.

“I said, 'Come in, play your games and we will have a conversation about it'. If he wants to stay, great.

“If he sees his future elsewhere, then I’m surmising over the next four or five months that we will talk that out. We want him to stay.

“Andy (Pilley, chairman) has given him a chance. He brought him from McDonalds (where Nadesan was working) and non-league, and has given him a chance to be a professional footballer at this club.

“He was given the opportunity to go out on loan when he had a year left on his contract. Most clubs would have kept him in until he signed a new deal.

“We were sensible about that. We’ve brought him back in and he has done well.

“He is back in as a first-team player, so from our perspective we have done everything we can possibly do.

“But we have got to also show him a bit of love and a bit of faith, and say it is not just a case of bringing you in to sign a new deal and then ship you back out.

“We want him to be part of our first team. I think the last few games have shown that.

“He is really enjoying his football. He has moved into the first-team dressing room.

“He still hangs around with the academy lads. There is a little posse of them, Shez (Nathan Sheron) and those boys, who can’t quite leave their academy friends behind, which is fair enough.

"I get that they are mates, all pals, but he is playing really good football with a smile on his face and I think the young lads know that if they are doing well I will give them a chance. I said that in August.

“Nadders has gone ahead of Ash Hunter at this minute in the team, and Ash Hunter has done unbelievably well.

“I said to them that if you play well you will keep your jersey and Nadders has done that.

“That is the culture we want to create at the football club, where people understand that if you work hard and play well you will play football and enjoy your football.”