Illan Meslier
Leeds star reacts in five words after 21-year-old star pens new deal
Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has penned a new deal at the club today. The France Under-21 international has signed a new five-year contract that will run until 2026. Marcelo Bielsa made a bold decision last season to make Meslier his first-choice keeper, and the Frenchman didn’t disappoint him. He was outstanding at times during his breakthrough season at the club, and Leeds have now rewarded him with an improved deal. The 21-year-old has taken to social networking site Instagram to express his reaction after signing a new deal at the club. Some of his current and former teammates responded to the post, including Pascal Struijk. Meslier said, as quoted by The Athletic: “I am so proud and happy to sign a new deal in Leeds. It’s a big club. It’s home, so it felt natural to sign a ne...
Tony Cascarino makes bold claim about Leeds man who is getting better ‘with every passing week’
Popular football pundit Tony Cascarino has suggested that Illan Meslier has the ability to become the first-choice goalkeeper for the France national team. The 21-year-old cemented his position in Leeds towards the end of last season when they were in the Championship. He has faced criticism this season, as Leeds have struggled to protect him with a steady backline with injuries to key players at various points. Despite this, Meslier has shown great presence, leadership and command in the box. He has kept nine clean sheets in 27 games for the club. Marcelo Bielsa has defended the youngster whenever he was criticised heavily by the press. After his mistakes against Arsenal, Bielsa protected him by drawing reference to Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker who has made some uncharacterist...
BBC pundit delivers honest verdict on Leeds man who is ‘still learning’
Leeds United will take on Burnley at Elland Road Sunday, and Mark Lawrenson has predicted a victory for the home side on BBC Sport. The Whites are heading into this game on the back of a 6-2 defeat against bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. Ahead of the match, Bielsa has spoken in length about the media’s inaccurate narrative regarding Leeds’ preference to ‘style over results’, but Lawrenson has harped on the same topic claiming the Whites won’t change their style against the Clarets. Leeds have been an entertaining side to watch this season. They are brilliant going forward and can play scintillating attacking football at times. However, they have been very poor at the back. The Whites are conceding goals easily, and they are giving the impression of a team that are not lear...
‘Great news’, ‘Absolutely love it’: Many Leeds fans react to Adam Pope’s tweet
Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has claimed recently that the Whites would be active in the summer transfer window. He expects Marcelo Bielsa to remain in charge at the club. However, instead of spending ridiculous money on players in the transfer market like Aston Villa or Fulham, they are likely to follow the smart approach of Sheffield United. Helder Costa has already joined on a permanent deal. And it seems Leeds are looking to secure permanent deals for other loanee players as well. Illan Meslier, who joined Leeds on loan from Lorient, is likely to sign a permanent deal with the Elland Road club in the next few days. The young goalkeeper impressed heavily in the absence of Kiko Casilla, and he is looking forward to playing with Leeds again in the Premier League. He has conce...
‘FFS’, ‘Disgusting’: Many Leeds fans feel Bielsa could make ‘one of the worst decisions’
Leeds United have suffered a massive blow today after Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Kalvin Phillips will not take part in the remaining three matches. While the Argentine has hinted that Ben White is likely to fill the role, he has remained tight-lipped about the goalkeeping situation. Illan Meslier has been simply outstanding in the absence of Kiko Casilla who was suspended for eight matches following an alleged racist comment directed at Charlton Athletic forward Jonathan Leko. However, Casilla has served his suspension, and he is back in contention for selection. Bielsa usually does not like to make unnecessary changes to the side but he didn’t give any hint whether Meslier will keep the gloves against Barnsley in the midweek. “I didn’t define the team yet so I prefer the players t...
Phil Hay provides update on Leeds star who finds ER a ‘very difficult environment’ to play in
The next transfer window is going to be very interesting for Leeds United. If they secure promotion to the Premier League, which is very likely, their first job will be to tie down Marcelo Bielsa on a lucrative deal. After that, they need to sort out the futures of some of the key players, one way or the other. And Kiko Casilla finds himself in a situation where his future seems away from Elland Road next summer. The Spaniard, who was signed by Bielsa from Real Madrid, was the first-choice goalkeeper at the club before he was banned for eight games on grounds of racial abuse. He was allowed to visit his family in Spain. However, he has returned to the UK and will train like other players. According to Phil Hay of The Athletic, Casilla is “still in the picture” but he has six games of his s...
