Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow has discussed his exit from St. James' Park to Leeds United.
The Welsh goalkeeper played for the Magpies between 2015 and 2023, making exactly 100 appearances and keeping 25 clean sheets, helping Newcastle win the 2016/17 Championship title along the way.
However, Darlow never truly held down the No.1 spot beyond that second tier campaign and a 25-game stint during the 2020/21 Premier League, often falling down to second and third in the pecking order.
Karl Darlow opens up on Newcastle United exit
Now 35, Darlow has mainly been used as a No.2 stopper for Leeds United. However, he’s seen a surprising amount of action this season due to Lucas Perri’s injury problems and loss of form, clocking up 17 appearances across all competitions and 15 in the Premier League.
Currently the Wales No.1, with 14 caps to his name to date, Darlow has averaged 2.40 saves per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, keeping three clean sheets and saving 65.5% of the shots he’s faced, according to FotMob.
Darlow is certainly playing a more prominent role than many goalkeepers of his age, and he believes his move to Yorkshire has been vindicated, rather than potentially being third choice at St. James’ Park, despite his ‘love’ for Newcastle.
“Yes, absolutely, yes, no doubt about it. I think it came at the right time for me as well,” Darlow told the official Leeds United podcast.
“I was at Newcastle. I’d been there a long time and, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the place and I loved the club, but at the time I wasn’t playing and I was getting no younger, and I went out on loan to Hull.
“I really enjoyed my time at Hull, with the intention for myself of getting out that summer. That’s why I did the loan, because I wanted to leave in the summer, knowing that I wasn’t going to be the first choice.
“I wasn’t going to be the second choice, and I didn’t want to play the third-choice role because I felt like I could give more than that still at this time in my career.
“So yes, it came at exactly the right time, and thankfully Leeds United wanted me, and yes, the rest is history.”
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