By Amanda Little

Last updated 16:34, Monday, 14 July 2008

Carlisle United top scorer Danny Graham is pleading with strike partner Joe Garner not to quit the club.

Danny Graham

Graham reckons keeping hold of the highly-rated hitkid would be a massive boost for United’s new owners – and underline their ambition to reach the Championship.

Garner looks certain to quit Brunton Park this summer – despite United knocking back a £½million bid from Nottingham Forest.

United boss John Ward is actively hunting for a replacement as the Championship new-boys are expected to come back with a second bid for the 20-year-old former England youth international.

Garner has been out since February with a cruciate knee ligament injury and is not expected to return to first-team action until December, but that has not deterred Forest boss Colin Calderwood, who is prepared to gamble on him returning to full fitness and form in coming months.

United have already sold Keiren Westwood to Coventry City in a £750,000 deal, and could now be set to cash in on a second prized asset in the space of a month.

But Graham – top scorer in Garner’s absence last season with 17 goals – hopes the Cumbrians will pull out the stops to keep his team-mate to help bolster their push for a Championship place.

Graham said: “I would love to see Joe stay as I love playing up front with him.

“Hopefully he will stay. It would send out a great message if we could keep out best asset and stop him going to a Championship club. He was a huge player for us last season before his injury and he has massive potential.

“He’s just a young lad and has a great future. As a club, we need to be ambitious and keep hold of our best players. It would be a massive bonus if Joe stayed.”

Graham is confident Carlisle can mount a strong push for an automatic promotion place next season after reaching last season’s play-offs when they missed out to Leeds United.

Despite a 19-game barren run, the former Middlesbrough trainee’s 17 goals played a crucial part in taking United to the brink of promotion.

And he admitted: “It was a great season and, after finishing fourth last year and eighth the previous season, we’ve got to be looking to get an automatic promotion place. We know that will be tough but if we show the same attitude we can get there. It’s a big ask but we are capable of achieving that – and we’ve got the played and staff to do it.

“Hopefully, with a few more signings, we will have a strong squad.”