Carlisle United have appointed Mike Williamson as their new head coach after MK Dons agreed to a compensation package of around £200,000, with Carlton Palmer impressed by the 40-year-old's managerial credentials.

Carlisle United have appointed Mike Williamson as their permanent head coach after sacking Paul Simpson last month. Williamson arrives from MK Dons after Carlisle met a release clause in his contract with the Buckinghamshire club. Carlisle owner Tom Piatak will now aim to recruit the club's first sporting director to work alongside Williamson.

However, it was an extremely difficult play-off campaign for the Dons, who were beaten home and away by Crawley Town in significant defeats. The Red Devils ran out 3-0 winners in the first leg at home, before humiliating Williamson's side 5-1 at Stadium MK, winning the tie 8-1 on aggregate.

MK Dons head coach Mike Williamson has been linked with a move back north to Carlisle United to take up the vacant manager’s seat. Parting company with Paul Simpson at the end of August, Carlisle have lost seven of eight games this season and sit 22nd in League Two, two placed below Dons.

Mike Williamson was “incredibly proud” as MK Dons bounced back from their slow start to beat Walsall 1-0 at Stadium MK. After defeat on Monday night by Salford, a first-half goal saw the Dons pick up a second win of the campaign as they defeated a Walsall team who had made a bright

Mike Williamson has been appointed as Carlisle United's new head coach. The former MK Dons boss takes over from Paul Simpson, who left after Carlisle's relegation to League Two last season and a poor start to the current campaign,