Nick Pope has played at Elland Road three times in his career and has come away victorious just once.
That was with Charlton Athletic in April 2016 when the Addicks ran out 2-1 winners against a Leeds United side led by Steve Evans, who had a certain Kalvin Phillips on the bench. Both players would end up lining up for England together a little over four years later, Premier League regulars by then.
The trajectories of both stars have differed in the time since. Phillips may have more trophies in the bank but Pope - who won his first piece of silverware in the Carabao Cup final in February - is the happier man today.
As it happens the pair have both been linked with transfer moves this summer, namely to Leeds. However, connections with Phillips have been downplayed, with wages and injury concerns making a return to Elland Road very unlikely.
Pope’s exit relies on whether Newcastle can get someone else in, which is no guarantee. He is happy at St James’ Park and so an exit would come with heavy reluctance, albeit would seem likely if he is usurped as Magpies number one.
The Chronicle, our sister title, has reported that Leeds have enquired about Pope, though he would hardly be the only one the club has on its radar. Goalkeeper is among the top transfer priorities for United this summer with an upgrade on Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier needed.
Pope would certainly be that, but does have his drawbacks. The 33-year-old has suffered some kind of injury in each of the last three seasons, including two in the space of a year.
A lengthy shoulder injury in December 2023 was followed by a knee issue last December, causing him to miss 40 matches for club and country. As for when he is on the pitch, he attains a consistent solid save percentage (shots on target saved) of above 70%.
However, last season’s ratio of 71.7% is his lowest return since his time at Charlton, following a year-on-year depreciation. His long passing follows a similar trend.
He completed 43% of such attempts last season, which isn’t unusually low for a goalkeeper but is the shortest percentage Pope has recorded since 2020. So there are reasons why Newcastle may look at moving him on.
But the level of Pope’s numbers won’t overly concern Leeds given they are still pretty decent scores. Last season’s save xG of +1.8 was his highest figure for four years and his experience is something that can’t be measured by mere statistics.
Boasting more than 220 top flight appearances, plus 10 England caps, Pope’s knowhow is nothing to be sniffed at. Furthermore, his reported weekly wage of £60,000 - which would almost certainly decrease if he moves on - is affordable, if not totally ideal, for Leeds.
Goalkeepers typically have longer careers than outfield players so acquiring a shot-stopper at 33 is not ludicrous, especially given this summer is all about bringing players in who can keep the club up and not much more.
But obviously, Pope is not a long term signing and whatever the club would pay they would certainly lose once he exits. And with age comes a natural slowing down of the body, which will reflect in his output.
There are positives and negatives to any signing, and it is about judging whether the scales tip the right way. The debate over Pope is no exception.