Fleetwood Town are fighting for promotion with Alex Cairns starring between the sticks – and their fans’ praise suggests Leeds United made a mistake.
Rob Green’s extended stay at Elland Road means Leeds United are hardly crying out for a new number one goalkeeper.
However, with the previously first-choice Marco Silvestri out of favour under Garry Monk, making just six appearances all season and none in the league, you wonder whether the club will regret not keeping hold of Alex Cairns.
The Doncaster-born shot-stopper only made one senior appearance in Leeds colours and it’s fair to say he endured something of a baptism of fire. Forced into the action to replace the calamitous Paul Rachubka with The Whites 3-0 down at home to Blackpool in November 2011, Cairns conceded twice more in the second half.
And it seems that battering by a Jonjo Shelvey-inspired Blackpool had major repercussions on his career. Because Cairns did not make a single league appearance for another five years, failing to feature in short-term spells at Chesterfield and Rotherham after being released from Elland Road in 2015.
At last, however, at the age of 24, Cairns is finally being given the chance to showcase his potential. Under former Leeds boss Uwe Rosler, he has shone at League One promotion chasers Fleetwood Town. In fact, no goalkeeper in the Football League has kept more clean sheets than Cairns’ ten since the turn of the year.
That only promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers have a better defensive record than The Cod Army this season is testament to Cairns’ consistency between the sticks. And while he doesn’t get the credit he deserves, omitted from the League One Team of the Season recently, at least Fleetwood supporters appreciate his considerable talents.
Perhaps Leeds, and their various managers, shouldn’t have been so quick to discard him.
@AlexCairns30 is at it again
— David Kenny® (@DMKenny83) March 4, 2017
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