A trio of former Leeds United players are training with the PFA while they look for a new home.
A trio of former Leeds United players from very different eras are taking part in the Players’ Football Association’s (PFA) free agent pre-season.
The PFA welcome unattached players to their training base for pre-season preparations every summer, offering a chance to build fitness as new clubs are found. The organisation also arrange friendly fixtures against lower-league or Under-21 opposition across the country.
Week seven of the pre-season campaign kicked off on Monday and among the 38 free agents are a trio of former Leeds players, as confirmed by the PFA on X. Goalkeeper Jamal Blackman, Liam McCarron and 36-year-old winger Mustapha Carayol make up the three-man former Whites contingent.
McCarron is perhaps the most surprising inclusion, given he was still playing fairly regular football at League One Northampton Town last season, where he made 21 appearances across all competitions. The 24-year-old was a Leeds player as recently as 2022, eventually leaving for Stoke City upon the expiration of his contract.
McCarron is also the only former Leeds player involved to have made a Premier League appearance, with Marcelo Bielsa giving the former Carlisle United academy graduate his top-flight debut against Arsenal in 2021. That was the youngster’s only senior game for the Whites in three campaigns at the club.
Get all your Leeds United news for just £1!
Join Graham Smyth and the team as they bring you exclusive coverage from Leeds United’s pre-season, from transfer news to Premier League build-up. Don’t miss out on this limited time offer - subscribe today to be a part of the action.
Two Marcelo Bielsa debutants in PFA free agent squad
Another Bielsa signing is involved with the PFA free agent pre-season, with goalkeeper Blackman joining Leeds during the Argentinian’s first summer in charge. A loan switch from Chelsea barely lasted a few months, however, with two appearances in the EFL Cup before a broken tibia ended his season in November.
Read More
Carayol racked up more Leeds appearances than McCarron and Blackman combined, albeit that only amounts to three altogether. The winger joined on loan from Middlesbrough in 2016 and played 14 times across all competitions, scoring twice including an excellent debut goal in an FA Cup win over Rotherham United.
Among the 38-man squad list are plenty of other notable names, including former Sunderland, Liverpool and Chelsea forward Fabio Borini. The Italian played 111 Premier League games for the aforementioned trio, winning the 2009/10 Premier League and FA Cup double with the latter.
Adam Reach scored an incredible goal against Leeds while playing for Sheffield Wednesday in 2018 and has over 480 first-team appearances under his belt with the Owls, West Brom, Middlesbrough and many more. Rolando Aarons was a hugely exciting prospect as Newcastle United and a Jamaican international who has also played for Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and Motherwell.
Continue Reading