PLAYER NEWS: Gilchrist joins Southport for a FC United record fee.

First Posted ~ 15:32 Fri 17 Nov 2017 News ID ~ 7679 Last Updated ~ 15:44 Fri 24 Nov 2017

FC United’s Jason Gilchrist has joined National League North side Southport for Club record undisclosed fee.Gilchrist (22) has scored 7 goals in the last 5 matches for FC United to bring his club goal scoring record to 29 from 62 games. He will be sorely missed at a time when FC United are finding form and in the run up to some tough matches in December.Gilchrist follows Nathan Lowe as the second contracted player to leave the club to sign for Southport this season. In addition to the fees paid to capture Gilchrist and Lowe, FC United could benefit in the future with a selling on clause built into the deal between the clubs.Tom Greaves, Caretaker Player/Manager saidFC United CEO Damian Chadwick added;Born in St Helens, Gilchrist joined Manchester City in 2001 at the age of six. He spent ten years at the club and was top scorer in six of those seasons. He failed to earn a scholarship with Manchester City and in the summer of 2011 he joined Burnley on a two-year scholarship. In his first season in the youth team he scored 26 goals finishing as top goalscorer. In his second year in the youth team he scored 22 goals, which included a hat-trick at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup.In March 2013 he experienced his first taste of senior football joining Conference North side Droylsden on loan until the end of the season, where he made ten appearances for the Bloods scoring once.In the summer of 2013 following the conclusion of his scholarship he was offered a one-year professional contract with the Burnley. He spent the majority of his first two years as a professional playing in the Development Squad, and in February 2015 he signed for League Two side Accrington Stanley on loan, where he made his professional league debut in a 3–0 away defeat to Burton Albion. In January 2016, he was sent out on loan to National League side Chester on a one-month loan deal but in April 2016, it was announced that he was to leave Burnley at the end of the season.Gilchrist joined the FC United of Manchester in the summer of 2016. On his first team debut, as a trialist at FC, Gilchrist scored a hat-trick for the Reds in a pre-season friendly against Mossley on 26th July, with fellow Burnley trialist Nathan Lowe also on the scoresheet.In the first 19 matches of FCs 2016/17 season he started just 5 matches, coming on as a substitute on 11 occasions. On 29th October 2016 he was given a run starting XI where he notched up 12 goals from the next 18 matches, but finished the season starting just 3 of the last 12 matches. Gilchrist returned the starting eleven in the 2017/18 season and scored 15 goals from 18 matches.On behalf of all the players, management and supporters at FC United, we would like to thank Jason for his time at the club, and we wish him well for a successful career at Southport.