Andy Lonergan returns to Leeds United while Rob Green departs

Leeds United have shuffled goalkeepers again this offseason, with Rob Green making his departure from Leeds United official and the club announcing that they have resigned Andy Lonergan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Lonergan spent the 2011-12 season at Elland Road, joining from Preston North End. He left for Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 2012 after making 35 appearances for Leeds. After Bolton, Lonergan first joined Fulham and then made his move to Wolverhampton last summer. Lonergan comes in with the understanding that he is going to be the backup to starter Wiedwald. This is the second goalkeeper to leave Leeds United during the summer transfer window, with Marco Silvestri leaving during preseason for Hellas Verona.

With the emergence of Felix Wiedwald as the number one goalkeeper at Elland Road, Rob Green’s departure had been rumored for weeks, and it comes as no surprise that the former England international has made the short journey to Leeds United’s West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town.

Green gets an opportunity to sit on the bench for a Premier League club, and his wages can be spent on another player. And while it could have been nice to get a small transfer fee for the 37 year old, allowing an unhappy player to leave that could have caused problems is a far better policy than to sit and hold out for a few thousand quid.

Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner had confirmed yesterday in his press conference that the team was interested in signing Green, although Thomas Christiansen was more coy in the press conference when asked.

This is an entirely predictable move by the club, as most fans saw the writing on the wall for Green’s time at the club from the opening match of the season when Wiedwald was between the sticks. Good luck Rob, we’ll always have what could have been under Garry Monk before everything went to hell in the last month of the season.