FORMER KEEPER RETURNS

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Mervyn Day is back at the club as chief scout.

The 55-year-old was previously part of Alan Curbishley's management team at both Charlton and West Ham.

Day told BBC Radio Leeds: "It's nice to come back to a club where you know people, the likes of [physio] Alan Sutton - it's nice to be home.

"I'm working in two areas to control the match reporting and technical analysis of our opponents, and in terms of talent identification."

Day rejoins the club, where he spent eight years playing in the 1980's and 90's, as part of a restructuring of the coaching department and will work for technical director Gwyn Williams.

The last 18 months I've actually been working for Fulham in a part-time scouting role and I've seen quite a few players," he continued.

"But I think the budget restrictions are quite different between the two clubs at the moment.

"A lot of it depends on what you actually need in the squad at that particular time. Most people now are looking for pace, power, the ability to get up and down the pitch and to be specific for their particular job.

"But sometimes it's just a feeling you get that maybe this lad's a little bit special and something they do makes you sit up and say 'he's a bit different - I can see him in our team doing well'."

Day made 268 appearances for Leeds between 1985 and 1992 and was part of the promotion winning squad in 1990.

"I came [to Leeds] as a player in the Championship and we managed to get into what was Division One, but is now the Premier League, so it would be nice to be able to - in a backroom staff capacity - do the same."

Manager Simon Grayson told the club website: "Merv's knowledge and experience will prove important to the football club as we look to progress and develop what we're doing.

"Like with myself and [first team coach] Glynn Snodin, his time here as a player means that he knows and understands the club and knows what it takes to keep driving the club forward."