Winger Hall opts for Blades over Millers

Leeds United winger Ryan Hall rejected the chance to move to Rotherham United before signing for Sheffield United.
Brian McDermott with players after the Bolton matchBrian McDermott with players after the Bolton match
Brian McDermott with players after the Bolton match

The former Southend United star, 25, is yet to play for Leeds this season and has been offered an escape route out of Elland Road by Blades boss David Weir.

Leeds manager Brian McDermott said: “Sometimes people can go away and do really well. He could do really well at Sheffield United. Then he might come back to Leeds United and do really well, but he might not.

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“For me, he’s a player who plays off the strikers but we’ve got Ross (McCormack) and El-Hadji Diouf who can play there. It’s difficult for Ryan to play and he’s not 19. If he was 19 then it might be a different story. He’s 25. Sometimes you have to let players go to get their careers up and running.

Leeds United's Ryan Hall.Leeds United's Ryan Hall.
Leeds United's Ryan Hall.

“He didn’t come back as fit (in the summer) as he could have done but he’s trainnig hard now and he’s made it right.

“David Weir wants to take him. He had a couple of options and could have gone to Rotherham but didn’t want to.

“This is the right thing for his career and the right thing for us. No doubt about that. You never write anybody off. But at the moment he’s blocked up. I hope he does really well.”

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Left-back Aidy White not started a league game since April and will come into the Leeds side today after Stephen Warnock was red-carded in the midweek defeat at Reading.

McDermott said: “I had a really good conversation with Aidy in the summer. he did really well in pre-season.

“We’re trying to nail down Aidy’s position and he wants to play left-back. There was talk about him going away from here but he’s been here since he was nine years of age and he really wants to play for Leeds United. I told him that I’d give him an opportynity to do well.

“He’s done well for the Under-21s and the reserveS at left-back so I told him yesterday that I’m a man of my word. So over to you.

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“He’s a Leeds boy and his father’s a Leeds fan. I’ve had good conversations with his father and he wants his boy to play for Leeds. He’s one of our own.

“He’s a good man and he wants his boy to do well. I want him to do well and I want to help him. I want him to be as good as he can possibly be.”