CARLISLE boss Paul Simpson has apologised to City for his comments about Jake Young.

The League One strugglers were one of three clubs to have offers rejected for the striker, who made his return from the bench at Swindon yesterday.

The Bantams took exception to Simpson going public with his claim that they were asking a “ridiculous” fee for the 22-year-old.

Ryan Sparks called it “unacceptable” for the Cumbrians to be airing their views about another club’s player and even wondered if the EFL should be taking any action.

Speaking last night after his team’s 4-1 defeat to Bolton, Simpson accepted that he should have kept his views to himself.

“To be honest with you I probably owe Bradford an apology because I probably spoke out of turn,” Simpson told our sister paper, the News & Star.

“I don't like getting into spats with clubs. I made a comment the other day about Bradford with the Football League stuff, and nothing's come from that.

“But in all fairness to their chief exec Ryan Sparks, he did apologise for the abuse I got (from some of their fans at last season’s play-off at Valley Parade) so I probably spoke in the heat of the moment at Barnsley about it and probably shouldn't have done so.

“I apologise for that to Bradford.

“But listen, Jake Young wasn't coming here. It was something that I didn't think was the right business for us but the fact he’s playing for Bradford puts it out of our heads anyway, which we had done - we've moved on.”