Centre forward Derek Asamoah leaves Brunton Park
United boss Keith Curle confirmed this afternoon that striker Derek Asamoah has left the club following the ending of his short-term deal at the weekend.Asamoah, 35, initially joined the Cumbrians on a six-month deal in October 2014 and has been with the club ever since. He scored 13 goals in his 90 appearances for the Blues, which included an excellent strike in the EFL Cup encounter with Premier League giants Liverpool at Anfield.
“Derek is an excellent professional and he’s been a pleasure to work with,” Curle said. “He came to the club at a time when we needed help and he was part of the reason why fortunes started to change for us.
“I know him well and I knew he was exactly the right type of character with the right attributes we needed at that time. He worked hard to earn his subsequent deals and he’s really enjoyed his time here. I think the fans have appreciated the effort and commitment he showed us.
“He’s at an age where he needs to be playing football and, with the players we have here now, I couldn’t guarantee him the pitch time he wanted. Hopefully he will go on to find that because he still has a lot to offer.
“He leaves here with our very best wishes.”
Asamoah started his career with the Protec Football Academy in North London and spent his football apprenticeship with Hampton and Richmond Borough before signing for Slough Town in 2001.
He was spotted by scouts as he registered a number of impressive displays and earned a trial, and subsequently his first professional deal, with Northampton Town that same year. Moves to Mansfield and Lincoln followed, but it was 8 goals in 17 games in a loan spell with Chester City which caught the eye of Shrewsbury Town.
He bagged 11 goals in 48 outings for the Shrews before his move to OSG Nice brought him two years in French football. He had a brief spell with Hamilton in 2009 before making a permanent move to sign for Lokomotiv Sofia in Bulgaria in time for the start of their season that year. He joined the Pohang Steelers, billed as the most successful club in Asia, in 2011 and made over 100 appearances with two clubs in South Korea before returning to England.
