Spanish goalkeeper Casilla joined Leeds last week from Real Madrid.
Kiko Casilla has told Spanish newspaper Marca that Leeds United’s director of football Victor Orta was crucial in convincing the Spaniard to swap Real Madrid for Yorkshire.
Casilla, 32, became Leeds’ first signing of the January transfer window last week after he put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal at Elland Road. It is believed Leeds have secured a free transfer for the Spain international.
The three-time Champions League winner started on the bench as Marcelo Bielsa kept Bailey Peacock-Farrell between the sticks for Leeds’ 2-1 loss to Stoke City last Saturday.
Casilla turned out for the club’s reserve side at Tadcaster Albion on Monday night, as the Whites’ second string beat Southampton 3-2 in the Premier League Cup. He told Marca that Orta was crucial in securing a deal.
“Victor Orta, who is the sports director, came to see me expressly to Madrid to explain the project, what Bielsa wanted from me, what is Leeds, and between one thing and another everything made me think it over and here I am,” Casilla said.
“I wanted to leave the comfort zone and risk a little, feel the pressure of playing again, feel again, on weekends, and how football is lived here, try this experience … I saw it with very good eyes.”
Casilla could make his debut for the Whites on Saturday as Leeds travel across Yorkshire to the New York Stadium to take on Rotherham United, in a match fans will be expecting to win.
Leeds have suffered three league defeats in their last four games but remain at the top of the Championship table by a point. Norwich’s 3-1 win at Birmingham closed the gap, after Leeds were beaten by Stoke.
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