Who is Illan Meslier? The goalkeeper who has slipped down the Leeds United pecking order

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Illan Meslier is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Leeds United.

Having joined the club in 2019, Illan Meslier is now one of Leeds United’s longest-serving players but is also one of the most maligned.

Despite being Daniel Farke’s No.1 choice for almost two years, fans had grown frustrated with his unreliability, with a costly mistake never too far away.

He now finds himself third in the pecking order at Leeds and here’s what you need to know about him.

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How old is Illan Meslier?

Illan Stephane Meslier is 25 years old, as of September 2025. He was born on April 1, 2000, in Lorient, France.

He is yet to even enter the peak years of his career as a goalkeeper and has plenty of time left to get back to his best.

How tall is Illan Meslier?

Meslier is a deceptively tall goalkeeper, standing at a towering 6’6″ tall.

Despite his height, Meslier still struggles to dominate his box and claim crosses.

How much did Leeds United pay for Illan Meslier?

Meslier initially joined Leeds on loan from hometown club Lorient in 2019, with the club holding an option to buy.

That’s what they did in 2020, paying £5m to sign Meslier.

Is Meslier leaving Leeds United?

Meslier had been Farke’s No.1 for almost two seasons, but a series of costly errors in 2025 threatened to derail Leeds’ promotion push.

After another mistake cost Leeds three points against Swansea City, he was dropped in favour of Karl Darlow, who brought composure back to the side as Leeds won the title.

Meslier was stripped of his No.1 shirt in the summer in favour of new arrival Lucas Perri and he appeared destined to leave the club, with a move to Turkey heavily linked.

However, a transfer didn’t come to fruition and, after Perri picked up an injury, Meslier remained at the club to serve as third choice.

His contract at Elland Road is set to expire in 2026, so he will likely leave on a free if he is not signed in January.

Meslier salary

Meslier reportedly earns £30,000 a week at Leeds, which works out at £1.56m a year.

However, Leeds United News understands this figure is slightly higher.

Illan Meslier stats

Meslier has only played for two clubs in his career so far and here are his stats.

Illan Meslier Instagram

Meslier has an official Instagram account with 154k followers that you can find @illan.meslier.

He does not appear to have an official X, formerly Twitter, account.

What Daniel Farke has said about Illan Meslier

Farke explained why he dropped Meslier in April 2025: “For me it’s also important to have clarity relatively early this week. It’s the first time Karl has been involved in a league game since a while so that he can concentrate on this topic.

“I work with human beings. For Karl he is buzzing, for Illan it’s always a bit difficult to take. I think in general with a goalkeeper, it’s important you don’t change game to game, even after a few mistakes.

“It’s professional football and you have to deliver and perform well to handle the pressure. The last time, he responded really well with many good performances and several clean sheets.

“But also in last weeks we felt he could have done a bit better and obviously in the last game he was strongly involved in both goals. So for that, I have to make a decision and protect him a little bit.

“It feels like the spotlight is on him and he’s a young man and the weight of the world is on his shoulders. That was my feeling this week.”