Leeds goalkeeper Andy Lonergan has today departed the club for a second time in his career. The experienced veteran failed to earn a spot in Marcelo Bielsa’s plans and it’s for the best he moves on. Leeds fans have thanked him but won’t be losing much sleep.
Rob Green’s departure from Leeds United last season was something of a nightmare. In came the unknown Werder Bremen stopper Felix Wiedwald, well he was meant to be a stopper anyway. Once Green left Leeds needed a back-up for Wiedwald and Andy Lonergan was prepared to come back, a deal which would see him back at Leeds for a second time.
📢 Lonergan leaves Leeds
🧤 Leeds United goalkeeper Andy Lonergan leaves the club by mutual consent with a year left on his contract.
ℹ️ Lonergan rejoined United for a second time in August 2017 & made nine appearances. #lufc pic.twitter.com/vaMgRsA2Jd
— Adam Pope (@apopey) July 5, 2018
He did get his chance as the season kicked on, Wiedwald was dropped after the Sheffield Wednesday game despite the whole team deserving to be on the bench and in came Andy Lonergan. He had a decent first game but overall he struggled and it all came crashing down in London as Brentford were gifted the win by the keeper.
I wrote at the time of his arrival that he wasn’t good enough to be at the club, he was purely a back-up and if something went wrong with Wiedwald he wasn’t the answer. Imagine when we realised that Wiedwald wasn’t good enough we had Rob Green to turn to? A player that was basically pushed out without anybody actually declaring it. In reality we went for a cheap and easy option and it didn’t work.
Lonergan was a popular figure at the club though and he deserves a thanks from the club and fans because one thing we do know is that he trained very well and always gave his best, he is just past his peak and maybe if he had stayed originally he would have grown into an important Leeds player but as it was he left, and now he’s left again.
Leeds are now expected to sign a keeper by the end of the week which leaves little room although now we announce players on a weekend as well it does give us a couple of extra days.
