November 23 2004

Lovely hair

Leeds United have signed Shaun Derry on a month's loan, with a view to making the deal permanent.

The 26-year-old mullet maestro has been offered a two-and-a-half year contract at Elland Road which he is expected to sign at the end of the week. The deal will be worth £250,000 to Palace once complete.

Derry has only started in one Premiership match so far this season, and is keen to ensure he is playing regular first team football at this point in his career.

He agreed personal terms and passed a medical at Leeds' Thorp Arch training ground on Monday.

United boss Kevin Blackwell was pleased to capture Derry's signature. He said: "I'm delighted that Shaun is joining the Whites at Elland Road.

"His track record for Portsmouth and Crystal Palace has been impressive and his experience in the middle of the park will go a long way to strengthening our squad.

"Our 6-1 win against QPR last weekend was magnificent and adding a player of Shaun's calibre to the team will, hopefully, mean we can continue our winning streak."

The Holmesdale Online wishes Shaun all the best for his future career - and hopes he gets that hair cut!