Illan Meslier bids emotional farewell as Leeds United exit confirmed | OneFootball

Illan Meslier has delivered an emotional farewell to Leeds United after the club confirmed last week he would leave when his contract expires this summer.

The French goalkeeper joined from FC Lorient in 2019, becoming a Championship title winner and a Premier League regular under Marcelo Bielsa.

Recent seasons were bruising. He was dropped by Sam Allardyce during the relegation run-in, then a run of errors saw Karl Darlow take his place last season. He did not feature in 2025/26, behind Darlow and Lucas Perri.

In a social media post, the 26-year-old thanked coaches, medical staff, team-mates and club employees, praised the fans’ unmatched passion and said that after seven years it is time for a new challenge, adding that Leeds would always be part of him.

Meslier made 215 appearances for Leeds, keeping 72 clean sheets across the Championship and Premier League. He was a key figure in Bielsa’s side, stepping in for Kiko Casilla before promotion was sealed.

The club highlighted his roles in the 2019/20 and 2024/25 promotion-winning campaigns, described him as a two-time champion and a strong team-mate, and said he would always be part of its history.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk