Carlin had relatively-recently made a substitute appearance for Arsenal's first-team when he played for Exeter City in a friendly at Cullompton Rangers in October 2002.  

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he was a member of Arsenal's FA Youth Cup-winning squad in 2001 and soon afterwards made a substitute appearance for the Gunners in the League Cup against Manchester United in November 2001.

Subsequently having loans at Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United, but not making a league appearance at either, he found himself at Exeter City on a trial basis in advance of a possible loan move. Although he had scored a hat-trick at Cullompton, no arrangement was made and he left Arsenal the following summer before playing for Enfield, Cambridge City, Kettering Town and Fisher Athletic in a relatively brief non-league career.