Much is made of players leaving Manchester United and going off to thrive, having failed to do so at Old Trafford. Well, a trend is emerging at Leeds United too, and Kristoffer Klaesson is further proof.
At Man United, Scott McTominay, Antony, Rasmus Hojlund and plenty of others have opted to leave Old Trafford after indifferent spells and have gone on to sparkle in Europe. There are a few examples at Leeds.
Which former Leeds player would you have back, if you could pick one? Raphinha surely has to be up theređź’Ž
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Joe Gelhardt is in the form of his life at Hull City, leaving Leeds on loan again in the summer and finally showing everyone what he is capable of. Joffy scored the winner in Hull’s 2-1 win over Stoke on Saturday.
Charlie Cresswell has enjoyed a brilliant spell since leaving for Toulouse, becoming one of England’s best foreign exports. There is talk Cresswell may join a Premier League club for triple the fee Leeds received.
Kristoffer Klaesson in action for Viking FK.
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Goalkeeper wins title with third club after Leeds exit in 2024
After playing for Leeds just three times, two of which came in Daniel Farke’s first season, the summer of 2024 saw Kristoffer Klaesson leave and search for pastures new. His first venture would be Polish football.
He would join Rakow, but after being placed on a diet, Klaesson was released from his contract after being seen in a McDonald’s. Klaesson was without a club for a year, before joining Danish side Aarhus.
But just one game and a few months later, Klaesson was on the move again, this time completing a move to Norwegian outfit Viking. Turns out, the move was inspired because on Sunday, Viking won the league.
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A 5-1 win over Valerenga got the job done on Sunday, pipping Bodo/Glimt to the title. An incredible achievement, with Klaesson playing 19 times and keeping five clean sheets. He was a sub on Sunday.
Kris Klaesson in action for Leeds.
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Kristoffer Klaesson’s three Leeds United appearances before exit
Klaesson would finally make his Leeds debut under Jesse Marsch in March 2022, coming off the bench in the comeback 3-2 comeback win over Wolves. Illan Meslier had picked up an injury in the first half.
Luke Ayling would score the winner and produce a Robbie Keane cartwheel at Molineux, a rare triumph under Marsch. Klaesson would have to wait until New Year’s Day in January 2024 for his next outing.
He was in goal with Meslier suspended after a red card against Preston, and Karl Darlow injured, during the FA Cup win over Peterborough. A game that saw Patrick Bamford arguably score his best-ever goal.
A third and final outing for Leeds came a few days later in the Championship, keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Birmingham City. He impressed Farke, but he would be sold by Leeds that summer.
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