Former Leeds United boss Neil Redfearn has conceded that Felix Wiedwald will need one or two seasons to understand the Championship before he can be the first choice goalkeeper at Elland Road.
Leeds signed the German goalkeeper from Werder Bremen and handed him the number one jersey, which led to Rob Green’s move to Huddersfield Town in the summer.
Keeping six clean sheets at the start of the season, the Leeds hierarchy’s gamble seemed to have been paying off until the German started making costly errors that led to the Whites losing points and games.
With Andy Lonergan not faring any better, Wiedwald could play against Middlesbrough on Sunday, but Redfearn feels the goalkeeper is not a first choice option at Championship level for the moment.
The former Leeds boss is not doubting the German’s ability between the sticks but believes he will need a bedding in period in English football and needs to understand the Championship before he can play regularly.
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Asked about Wiedwald’s performances thus far, Redfearn said on Radio Yorkshire: “At Championship level he is a good number two.
“Obviously there’s some stuff that has happened that hasn’t helped him, I’ll give him that.
"Things have sort of crumbled in front of him and he didn’t receive any help.
“I don’t think he’s a bad 'keeper – as I said he is a good number two so again six [out of them] and he has got good potential."
Redfearn continued: “To be fair with Wiedwald, he has got to have one or two seasons under his belt to understand this level and he’s got to understand the culture of this country and you can throw this at a number of them [the summer signings].
“That doesn’t make them bad players, you have got to understand that.”
