Salford City stopper Alex Cairns joins Leeds

Alex Cairns has completed a permanent move to Championship side Leeds United.

The 31-year-old goalkeeper made 77 appearances for the Ammies over two seasons, joining from Fleetwood in January 2023 on a loan deal that became permanent that summer.

Cairns has been a mainstay since his arrival at the Peninsula Stadium and captained the side throughout their 2023-24 campaign.

During his time at the club, Cairns’ consistent performances made him hugely popular with the supporters, to whom he addressed in his farewell statement.

“I just want to say thank you for letting me represent your club for the last 18 months. I loved every minute of it and will always be watching and hoping for success for the football club!”

Cairns gave Ammies fans a rare moment to smile about in a turbulent past season. By denying striker Georginio Rutter from twelve yards, he helped Salford to a famous penalty shoot-out win against Leeds in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

The experienced shot-stopper started his career at Leeds and his return to Elland Road will allow the Whites to meet the EFL’s home-grown player quota. Championship rules stipulate that clubs must field at least eight homegrown players in their 25-man squad.

Salford manager Karl Robinson must now work to fill the void Cairns leaves behind. The shot stopper has kept 8 clean sheets in a struggling campaign and could prove difficult to replace.

He will hope to have secured his new number one before Salford kick off the 2024-25 League season against Port Vale on August 10.

Goalkeeper Alex Cairns has completed a permanent transfer to Championship side Leeds United 🤝

Thanks for everything @AlexCairns30 🫡

– Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) July 8, 2024

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