Bailey Peacock-Farrell ⭑ From A-Z since '92
Peacock-Farrell carried himself through his chaotic baptism with such calm self-assurance that he was convincing others as well as himself the Leeds United no.1 shirt was his for years to come.
This is part of my (eight year long, it'll fly by) attempt to write about every Leeds United player since 1992. For more about why I'm doing this, go back to Aapo Halme, and to read all the players so far, browse the archive here.
An unflappable goalkeeper is, according to cliché, a benefit. In this, as in many things during his time keeping goal for Leeds United, Bailey Peacock-Farrell upended expectations.
The expectation at Thorp Arch, in spring 2018, was that Peacock-Farrell would be leaving in the summer. He'd come into United's youth system aged seventeen after eight years at Middlesbrough, who decided not to offer him a scholarship. He'd made his Leeds debut at the end of 2015/16 when Marco Silvestri was suspended, but all he was given to do against QPR was a penalty to pick out of his net. Rob Green played ahead of Silvestri through 2016/17, then Felix Wiedwald and Andy Lonergan were put in place for 2017/18. Oldham were given the chance to take Peacock-Farrell on loan that season but turned him down after a trial; Landskrona were given the chance of taking him on loan to Sweden but turned him down after a trial; York City took him, to National League North, and after he'd conceded nine shambolic goals in four games they sent him back to Leeds.
Here's what BPF was getting up to in York
There, new manager Paul Heckingbottom wasn't impressed, telling Peacock-Farrell, "He can’t just come into training every day, train and come home", advising the club to let him go at the end of the season. But while Leeds, Heckingbottom and Peacock-Farrell waited for the end of the season, Felix Wiedwald kept happening.
After a 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough, Heckingbottom no longer had a choice. Lonergan was out with a neck injury, but whatever was wrong with Wiedwald couldn't wait, for his own good before anybody else's. Football might be no less forgiving to a youngster, but Heckingbottom decided a jolt of first team action could be what Peacock-Farrell needed to liven up a career that had "become a little bit static". He put him in, against Wolves. Leeds lost 3-0. Peacock-Farrell was United's man of the match.