Born 20/1/89 in Gateshead.
The winner of 2006's Football Icon TV contest to seek out undiscovered talent, centre-back Carl has progressed to become a fully-fledged regular in the reserve side, a first team debutant on loan and a Northern Ireland Under 21 international.

He has been rewarded with an extension to his original prize contract and was part of the club's Right to Play humanitarian visit to Jordan and Israel in the summer of 2008.

Originally rejected as a schoolboy by Leeds United where he had played with current Chelsea colleagues Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo, Carl was a stand-in captain in the youth team before progressing to the reserves.

A composed, all-round defender, last season saw him briefly on loan at MK Dons and then at Northampton although a stress fracture of his back ended his season before he could play for the Cobblers.