Carden had two spells with Chester (a brief stint at Doncaster Rovers in 2001 falling in between) and was a regular for most of his time there, chalking up more than 200 first-team appearances for the Blues. He captained the side to the Football Conference title in 2003–04 and a return to the Football League for both Carden and the club. The following season saw him named as the club's player of the season, but he was then released by new manager Keith Curle.