Leeds United player considering retirement as major summer decision looms

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw is considering retiring from his contract at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Whites are currently deciding whether to offer the central-midfielder a new contract before the end of the season, with his current deal due to expire in the summer.

The club hold an option to extend by a further year, but his career at Leeds has been marred by injury and it is uncertain if they will decide to extend it to 2024.

Beren Cross of Leeds Live recently reported that Forshaw faces another huge battle to earn that new contract with the club as he remains side-lined with injury:

It's proving another difficult season for Adam Forshaw with long spells outside Leeds United's starting line-up. He fought back from the brink to earn a new deal against the odds last season and he has another big fight on his hands now. #lufc https://t.co/j0hYTGIJ6M

— Beren Cross (@BerenCross) March 7, 2023

Forshaw has played only six games this season and 84 times in total for Leeds, despite joining the club over five years ago in the January of 2018 from Middlesbrough.

Does Forshaw have a Leeds future?

According to Leeds All Over sources close to the player, the 31-year-old is said to be “seriously considering retirement” when this campaign ends, after a frustrating few years with injury.

The midfielder played only eight times in Leeds’ title winning Championship campaign, and no games during the following season, when Leeds finished 9th in the top flight.

He had a better time with injury last season, managing 26 outings, but has suffered the same frustrations this campaign and is now weighing up his long-term options.

Leeds All Over sources added that Forshaw is also considering a path into coaching as he decides the next steps in his career carefully between now and the end of the season.

The big updated Adam Forshaw quiz – Can Leeds United fans score 20/20?

It is a real shame, but perhaps the right move for him, if his body simply cannot hold up any longer.

Forshaw is a great character, though, and coaching may be the best step for him, should he decide that is the best next step for him.

It looks increasingly less likely that Leeds will offer him a new contract, and perhaps he thinks that is enough for him, even though he should have Championship suitors, despite his age and injury record.

Forshaw’s time at the club will unfortunately always be remembered as what could have been. He’s a tidy midfielder who recycles the ball well, but has rarely been able to showcase it consistently in a white shirt.