Leeds United in market for goalkeeper after Ashdown injury setback
YEP 18/7/13
by Phil Hay
Leeds United are in the market for another goalkeeper after conceding that Jamie Ashdown is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season.
Manager Brian McDermott is looking for cover for Paddy Kenny with Ashdown making a slow recovery from the foot operation he underwent in April.
McDermott expected to have the former Portsmouth keeper available to feature in his squad on the first day of the Championship term but although Ashdown trained with Leeds in Slovenia this week, United’s boss has not been able to use him in the club’s pre-season fixtures. Twenty-year-old Alex Cairns – a player who came from Leeds’ academy – has deputised for Kenny in friendlies against Farsley, Pomurje, Domzale and Ferencvaros, and McDermott gave Kenny a 90-minute appearance during Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Ferencvaros in Murska Sobota.
Ashdown is set to miss this weekend’s game at Walsall as Leeds continue to treat him with caution and McDermott said: “Jamie’s not really improved as much as we would have liked.
“He’s done his goalkeeping training but he’s got this problem with his toe. We’re trying to get him back as soon as we can but it doesn’t look like he’ll be fit for the start of the season.
“It’s something we’re going to have to monitor day-to-day. We’ll definitely have to look at that.”
Cairns is one of United’s young professionals and has been closely involved with their pre-season programme but his only competitive first-team appearance came in the second half of a bizarre 5-0 defeat to Blackpool in 2011, a match which famously spelled the end of Paul Rachubka’s Leeds career.
United announced on Tuesday that Neil Sullivan, their former player, was rejoining the club as academy goalkeeping coach and McDermott could look to register him as a first-team squad member, though United are not thought to have done so yet. Sullivan, 43, is technically a free agent after leaving Doncaster Rovers at the end of last month.
An injury to Kenny – ever present in league matches last season – would create a serious problem for McDermott but United will not be offering a contract to Darjan Curanovic, the Slovenian keeper who trained with them during their 10-day stay in Europe.
Curanovic was hopeful of securing a move to Leeds, saying: “If everything goes by the plan there is a chance for me to sign for Leeds.
“Every player dreams about playing in England so I really hope this will become reality for me.”
But McDermott said: “He won’t be signing.”
by Phil Hay
Leeds United are in the market for another goalkeeper after conceding that Jamie Ashdown is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season.
Manager Brian McDermott is looking for cover for Paddy Kenny with Ashdown making a slow recovery from the foot operation he underwent in April.
McDermott expected to have the former Portsmouth keeper available to feature in his squad on the first day of the Championship term but although Ashdown trained with Leeds in Slovenia this week, United’s boss has not been able to use him in the club’s pre-season fixtures. Twenty-year-old Alex Cairns – a player who came from Leeds’ academy – has deputised for Kenny in friendlies against Farsley, Pomurje, Domzale and Ferencvaros, and McDermott gave Kenny a 90-minute appearance during Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Ferencvaros in Murska Sobota.
Ashdown is set to miss this weekend’s game at Walsall as Leeds continue to treat him with caution and McDermott said: “Jamie’s not really improved as much as we would have liked.
“He’s done his goalkeeping training but he’s got this problem with his toe. We’re trying to get him back as soon as we can but it doesn’t look like he’ll be fit for the start of the season.
“It’s something we’re going to have to monitor day-to-day. We’ll definitely have to look at that.”
Cairns is one of United’s young professionals and has been closely involved with their pre-season programme but his only competitive first-team appearance came in the second half of a bizarre 5-0 defeat to Blackpool in 2011, a match which famously spelled the end of Paul Rachubka’s Leeds career.
United announced on Tuesday that Neil Sullivan, their former player, was rejoining the club as academy goalkeeping coach and McDermott could look to register him as a first-team squad member, though United are not thought to have done so yet. Sullivan, 43, is technically a free agent after leaving Doncaster Rovers at the end of last month.
An injury to Kenny – ever present in league matches last season – would create a serious problem for McDermott but United will not be offering a contract to Darjan Curanovic, the Slovenian keeper who trained with them during their 10-day stay in Europe.
Curanovic was hopeful of securing a move to Leeds, saying: “If everything goes by the plan there is a chance for me to sign for Leeds.
“Every player dreams about playing in England so I really hope this will become reality for me.”
But McDermott said: “He won’t be signing.”