Over and out for Batty

David Batty has played his last game for Leeds.

Caretaker manager Eddie Gray revealed Batty, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, will not feature in the remainder of the campaign as Leeds bid to avoid relegation from the Barclaycard Premiership.

The 34-year-old former England international was told the news this morning at the club’s Thorp Arch training ground.

Gray said: “I have made a decision that I will not be using David again this season and I have done that purely from a footballing point of view.”

Batty’s agent Hayden Evans said: “David was asked into a meeting this morning and told of the decision. As you can understand, he is extremely disappointed.”

Batty, a member of Howard Wilkinson’s title-winning side during his first spell at Leeds, became David O’Leary’s first signing as Leeds manager in December 1998 when he paid Newcastle £4.4m (€6.4m) for his services.

O’Leary’s successor Terry Venables froze Batty out of the first team, but he was recalled by Peter Reid and featured under Gray when he opted for a five-man midfield.