Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Jak Alnwick has been handed the opportunity to impress at Leeds United after the Yorkshire club offered him a trial. The 22-year-old was released by the Magpies at the end of the 2014-15 campaign and is a free agent, so Leeds could potentially snap him up on a free. Marco Silvestri may be Uwe Rosler's No 1 at Elland Road but the Leeds boss is looking at free agent Alnwick as a potential reserve goalkeeper, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. Despite being under the age of 24, Newcastle would not be due any compensation should Leeds sign Alnwick because the Magpies failed to offer a new deal to the Hexham-born stopper. After signing for Newcastle from their bitter rivals Sunderland in 2008, the Magpies academy product failed to make his first-team debut until last December. In fact, a loan spell at Gateshead in September 2011 brought nine appearances - but then he didn't play a first-team game at any level until eight months ago. Called upon off the bench against Chelsea in December, Alnwick performed admirably - aside from completely missing the cross that led to Didier Drogba's goal - for those 45 minutes. However, in the other seven appearances he made he was simply a liability - and was woeful during the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal and the 4-0 hammering at Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup quarter-final. He made one appearance at Bradford City while on loan from March onwards earlier this year, but Alnwick could now find himself as back-up goalkeeper at Championship side Leeds. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow whatculture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
