Leeds United news as ex-Whites record breaker…

Leeds United news as ex-Whites record breaker announces retirement

Here are the latest Leeds United evening headlines on Tuesday, 15 November 2022.

Lennon retires

Former Leeds United winger Aaron Lennon has announced his retirement at the age of 35. Lennon, who became the Premier League's youngest ever debutant at 16 years and four months during his time at Leeds, went onto make over 400 appearances in the top-flight of English football.

Lennon was capped 21 times by England and also played for Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Burnley and Kayserispor in his 19-year career. He thanked all of his former clubs in his retirement statement and admitted it has been a difficult decision to bring his playing days to an end.

He said: "Thank you. I’ve finally decided that the time is right to hang my boots up, having weighed up my options I didn’t feel any were right for me and my young family. It has been a very tough decision as football has been my life since probably the age of 3 and the last 20 years playing professionally at the very top has been so amazing. I’ve loved every minute of it!

"Football means so much to me and always will do. I don’t think I even realised how much until I started considering this retirement, it has been everything and more.

"All the players I’ve played with, it has been an absolute pleasure. The managers, coaching staff and all other members of staff who do all the hard work behind the scenes, some real amazing people at the club who I will thank personally and hopefully cross paths again in the future. And of course the amazing clubs and fans I got to play and represent, including my country.

"I’ve loved each and every one of the clubs and fanbases and I know that doesn’t happen for many players so I’m very grateful. Football world thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

FiveThirtyEight

Leeds United have been backed to secure Premier League survival relatively comfortably despite their late collapse at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. FiveThirtyEight’s supercomputer - which uses statistical information and detailed data analysis to calculate how the Premier League table will finish in May – thinks Leeds will end the season in 15th place, six points ahead of the bottom three.

Leeds were just 10 minutes away from making it three wins in a row at the weekend but conceded two late Rodrigo Bentancur goals to leave the capital empty handed. The Whites were able to accumulate six points from their previous two matches, though, as they defeated both Liverpool and Bournemouth, meaning they enter the World Cup break 15th and two points clear of the bottom three.

Kristensen improvement

Harvey Barnes, Gabriel Martinelli, Wilfried Zaha. Rasmus Kristensen has faced them all in what’s been a baptism of fire with Leeds United that’s finally settled into some decent, steady form.

Kristensen stood out as the exception to the rule United’s summer signings had to make a positive impact. An encouraging pre-season gave way to some concerning Premier League form until that meeting with Zaha at Selhurst Park in early October.

Leeds lost the match, but the Denmark international was arguably their man of the match on a day Zaha, Crystal Palace’s talisman, did not get a sniff. Kristensen’s gone from strength to strength, in the main, since then and now heads to Qatar as one of only three Leeds faces at the World Cup.