Player of the Year winner left Leeds United and has ‘improved enormously’ since then

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The end of season awards at Leeds United will be fiercely contested indeed.

During what is bound to be a champagne-soaked ceremony on May 4th, Ao Tanaka, Dan James, Manor Solomon, Joe Rodon, Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe could all claim to have a real shot at claiming the club’s Player of the Year award.

And that’s without mentioning captain Ethan Ampadu. Or, indeed, a full-back entering double figures for assists. Junior Firpo achieved his pre-season target against Bristol City in Monday’s 4-0 Elland Road thrashing; Fifteen goal contributions with a game to spare.

But, while the destination of those individual accolades are yet to be revealed, there is one player formerly of Leeds United already making space on his mantelpiece.

Oliver Casey, the Leeds-born central defender, rose through the ranks at the Yorkshire giants. The closest he came to a first-team role, however, was a brief cameo appearance during a 2-0 win over rivals Huddersfield Town in December 2019.

That was Casey’s one and only league appearance in a Leeds shirt. But, four years after joining Blackpool on the West coast, the talented central defender is doing his chances of a return to Championship level no harm at all.

Former Leeds United prospect Oliver Casey wins Player of the Year award at Blackpool

A play-off spot slipped Blackpool by. But, after a fine individual campaign under a British defensive great in Steve Bruce, it would come as little surprise to see second-tier clubs sniffing around the now-24-year-old stopper.

Casey is just three shy of 50 club appearances this term. He scored three goals from centre-back, won two of the club’s Player of the Month awards, and even captained Blackpool on one occasion.

As far as Bruce is concerned, Casey was a more-than-fitting recipient of The Seasider’s Players’ Player of the Year award.

This, interestingly, is the second time Casey has picked up such a prize. He was named Fleetwood Town’s Players’ Player of the Year back in 2023, too, though that was offset somewhat by relegation out of League One.

“The Players’ Player [award] is something you’re always going to cherish,” Bruce tells the Blackpool Gazette, the former Manchester United captain guiding his current employers to a top-half finish following his appointment lat September.

“Since I’ve walked through the door, I don’t think he’s come out of the team. He’s improved enormously, and is a really good defender. This is his first real breakthrough season, so well done to him.

“He’s got a lot of improving to do still, but there’s a lot in his locker. Very quietly he’s become an integral part of the team.”

Steve Bruce says Casey is benefitting from Leeds exit

Bruce feels that Casey’s emergence at Bloomfield Road is proof of the benefits of regular first-team football. He might have failed to make the grade at hometown club Leeds United, but a departure in similar circumstances proved to have silver lining for the likes of Leif Davis, Lewie Coyle and Lewis Bate.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	45	28	13	4	93	29	64	97
2	BurnleyBurnley	45	27	16	2	66	15	51	97
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	45	28	7	10	62	35	27	89
4	SunderlandSunderland	45	21	13	11	58	43	15	76

Davis played Premier League football with Ipswich Town this season. Coyle has ousted Cody Drameh at Hull City.

Lewis Bate is captaining Stockport to promotion, meanwhile, a play-off spot secured for the Edgeley Park outfit.

“We all need breaks, and there’s times when you need to drop down a level to prove yourself,” Bruce adds. “There’s no doubt at all, you only become a real player when you start playing week in, week out.

“If you’re on the fringes anywhere, whether that’s Leeds or Barcelona, if not playing then it becomes difficult.”