Alex Cairns

Alex Thomas Cairns (born 4 January 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Fleetwood Town.

For the New Zealand cricketer, see Alexander Cairns.

Alex Cairns
Personal information
Full name Alex Thomas Cairns[1]
Date of birth (1993-01-04) 4 January 1993
Place of birth Doncaster, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Fleetwood Town
Number 1
Youth career
0000–2011 Leeds United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2015 Leeds United 1 (0)
2012 → Barrow (loan) 0 (0)
2012–2013 → Stalybridge Celtic (loan) 38 (0)
2015–2016 Chesterfield 0 (0)
2016 Rotherham United 0 (0)
2016– Fleetwood Town 106 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:30, 16 March 2019 (UTC)

Club career

Breaking through

Cairns began his career in the Leeds United youth academy and turned professional with the club at the end of the 2010–11 season by signing a one-year contract along with fellow youth players and twins Nathan and Lewis Turner.[3] The following season would see Cairns join the senior team as cover for Paul Rachubka after first choice goalkeeper Andy Lonergan sustained a finger injury. Rachubka's time in the side was marked by a series of calamitous errors; three of which would come in the first half of a league match against his former club Blackpool. With United 0–3 down at half time and Rachubka's position seemingly untenable, Cairns replaced him for the second half in a baptism of fire. The young goalkeeper would concede a further two times as Blackpool ran out 5–0 winners.[4] In making his debut for the club, Cairns followed in the footsteps of former Leeds academy graduates and England international goalkeepers Paul Robinson and Scott Carson.

Following the Blackpool game, manager Simon Grayson expressed his doubts as to whether Cairns was ready to take on the responsibility of starting in the first-team for the remaining period of Lonergan's absence.[5] Prior to the next match against Leicester City, Grayson brought in young Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy on an emergency loan.[6] Nevertheless, Cairns was promoted ahead of Rachubka and retained his position on the bench for the following weeks until Grayson signed veteran goalkeeper Maik Taylor on a short-term basis to act as cover.[7][8]

Cairns signed a new two-year deal at the club on 19 January.[9] At the end of the January transfer window, Cairns joined Conference National side Barrow on a one-month loan.[10] Cairns failed to play a game for Barrow after being an unused substitute in several games and returned to Leeds on 2 March after his loan at Barrow expired.[11] He made no further appearances in the first-team squad at Leeds for the remainder of the season as new manager Neil Warnock favoured five outfield players on the bench.

Stalybridge Celtic loan

After falling down the pecking order at Leeds following the signings of two new goalkeepers, Cairns joined Conference North side Stalybridge Celtic on a month-long loan after first-choice goalkeeper Andy Ralph suffered a suspected broken leg in the Badgers' opening game of the season.[12] He made his debut for the club at their Bower Field ground in a 1–1 draw against Gainsborough Trinity and kept his first clean sheet later that week in a 0–0 stalemate against Droylsden.[13][14] He featured for Celtic in a 2–1 friendly victory over a Manchester United XI which included Darren Fletcher and Alexander Büttner on 11 September. He remained an ever-present for the club since arriving until he was substituted in an early-round FA Cup match on 22 September versus Vauxhall Motors after sustaining a dead-leg following a collision with an opposing player.[15] His loan spell was extended until the end of November during which he reached the final qualifying round of the FA Cup with the Badgers before succumbing to Conference National side Stockport County in a 3–5 defeat at Edgeley Park.[16]

At Stalybridge Celtic's end of season awards on 27 April 2013, Cairns won the Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Year awards.[17]

Return to Leeds United

After an injury to Jamie Ashdown for the final home game of the season, Cairns was recalled to Leeds on 26 April 2013, and was named on the bench against Brighton & Hove Albion on 27 April.

Following an injury to Jamie Ashdown during the following pre-season, Cairns was promoted to second choice goalkeeper, providing backup for Paddy Kenny and then loan goalkeeper Jack Butland. He remained second choice at Leeds even after Kenny's return from injury.[18] On 16 May 2014, Cairns extended his contract with Leeds by a further year.

On 13 May 2015, Cairns was released by Leeds United after his contract expired.[19][20]

Chesterfield

On 29 July 2015, Cairns signed a six-month contract at Chesterfield.[21] However, he didn't make an appearance for Chesterfield and left the club on 7 January 2016 after his contract expired.[22]

Rotherham United

The day after his release from Chesterfield, Cairns signed a contract with Rotherham United until the end of the season. The move reunited him with Rotherham manager Neil Redfearn, who had previously been his academy manager at Leeds United. [23]

Fleetwood Town

In July 2016, Cairns signed for League One club Fleetwood Town, where he went on to establish himself in the first team.[24] He played a total of 81 games in his first two seasons at the club, keeping 34 clean sheets.[25]

Personal life

In November 2014, Cairns' 16-year-old brother Blake was killed in a two car collision in Conisbrough alongside four other teenagers, three of whom attended Danum Academy Sixth Form with the other having previously attended the Sixth Form. His funeral was attended by Cairns and several members of the Leeds first-team squad.[26]

Career statistics
As of match played 16 March 2019 [27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leeds United 2011–12[28] Championship 100000––10
2012–13[29] 000000––00
2013–14[30] 000000––00
2014–15[31] 000000––00
Leeds United 1000000010
Barrow (loan) 2011–12[28] Conference National 0000––0000
Stalybridge Celtic (loan) 2012–13[32] Conference North 38030––1[lower-alpha 1]0420
Chesterfield 2015–16[33] League One 0000000000
Rotherham United 2015–16[33] Championship 0000000000
Fleetwood Town 2016–17[34] League One 30050003[lower-alpha 2]0380
2017–18[35] 380201020430
2018-19[36] 380301000420
Fleetwood Town 106010020501230
Total 145013020601660
  1. Appearance in the FA Trophy
  2. One appearance in the EFL Trophy and two in the League One play-offs
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References
  1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Fleetwood Town" (PDF). English Football League. p. 27. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  2. Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 482. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
  3. "ACADEMY TRIO OFFERED PRO DEALS". LUFC. 9 May 2011.
  4. "Leeds Vs Blackpool". LUFC. 2 November 2011.
  5. "Leeds United manager Simon Grayson ponders loan move after Paul Rachubka's nightmare in 5–0 loss to Blackpool". The Telegraph. 3 November 2011.
  6. "McCARTHY STARTS, O'DEA SET TO MISS OUT". LUFC. 4 November 2011.
  7. "BBC Sport – Leicester 0–1 Leeds". BBC. 6 November 2011.
  8. "Leeds United bring in goalkeeper Maik Taylor". BBC. 24 November 2011.
  9. "]THE FUTURE'S ALL-WHITE FOR YOUNG ALEX". LUFC. 19 January 2012.
  10. "]Barrow sign Leeds United goalkeeper Alex Cairns". BBC. 31 January 2012.
  11. "] Barrow Sign Back-Up Keeper". barrowafc.com. 2 March 2012. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013.
  12. "Stalybridge Take Leeds Keeper on Loan". Football Conference. 21 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  13. "Stalybridge Celtic 1–1 Gainsborough Trinity". Stalybridge Celtic. 21 August 2012.
  14. "Stalybridge Celtic 0–0 Droylsden". Stalybridge Celtic. 21 August 2012.
  15. "Stalybridge Celtic 0–0 Droylsden". Stalybridge Celtic. 22 September 2012.
  16. "Celtic put up a spirited fight, but County were just too strong". Stalybridge Celtic. 22 October 2012.
  17. "April 27th, 2013 – Player of the Year Award Winners". Stalybridge Celtic. 27 April 2013.
  18. "Kenny 'fit for selection'". Teamtalk. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  19. "Leeds United release midfielder". BBC Sport. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  20. "Austin Released by Leeds United". Leeds United. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  21. "Spireites to sign keeper". Chesterfield FC. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  22. "Keeper departs". Chesterfield FC. 7 January 2016.
  23. "Cairns checks in with Millers". 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  24. "Fleetwood keeper Cairns to realise his number one dream". Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  25. "Our new number one: Alex Cairns". Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  26. "Leeds United players support family of tragic Blake Cairns". Yorkshire Evening Post. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  27. Alex Cairns at Soccerbase
  28. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  29. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  30. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  31. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  32. Alex Cairns at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  33. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  34. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  35. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  36. "Games played by Alex Cairns in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
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