Gaetano Berardi signs new contract

Gaetano Berardi signs new contract

Defender agrees deal.

Leeds United are pleased to announce Gaetano Berardi has signed a new one-year contract with the club, running until the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

A cult hero among Leeds fans, Berardi is currently the longest serving first-team player at the Whites, having joined from Italian outfit Sampdoria back in July 2014.

Since making his debut against Accrington Stanley at Elland Road in August 2014, Berardi has gone on to make a total of 155 appearances for the Whites in all competitions.

He scored his first goal for the club in January 2018 against Newport County in the Emirates FA Cup and netted his second goal last season, in the 3-0 victory over Salford City in the Carabao Cup.

A fiercely loyal player, after his previous contract came to an end over the lockdown period following the Covid-19 pandemic, Berardi agreed a short-term contract extension at the end of last season, determined to get the Whites back to the top-flight.

He did just that, helping Leeds record crucial wins and clean sheets against Stoke City, Swansea City and Barnsley in the month of July as Marcelo Bielsa’s side were crowned champions, winning the Sky Bet Championship by 10 points and returning to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.

In total, Berardi played 22 league matches during our memorable promotion winning season, cementing his place in history at Elland Road, along with the rest of the squad.

However, with the Sky Bet Championship title secured, in Leeds’ penultimate fixture, a 3-1 victory over Derby County at Pride Park, Berardi suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his knee, ruling him out for an extended period of time.

The defender is still currently undergoing rehab following an operation over the close season and he will continue his recovery with the medical team at Thorp Arch over the coming months.

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