Leeds midfielder Vurnon Anita has joined Dutch side Willem II on a season-long loan.
The news was confirmed on the official Willem II Twitter page on Friday morning.
The 29-year-old midfielder joined on a free transfer from Newcastle last summer and is under contract until 2020.
Vurn?#Anita pic.twitter.com/YESINmDt69
— Willem II (@WillemII) August 31, 2018
season-long loan for Anita, whose contract at Leeds runs to 2020. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) August 31, 2018
OPINION
This was expected after it was made clear to Anita that he wouldn’t play a part in the first-team under Marcelo Bielsa. The 29-year-old only made 22 appearances since he joined last summer and will go down as a major Elland Road disappointment. He came with a vast amount of experience after making 155 appearances for Newcastle and 152 for Ajax, and winning three caps for his country, but it just didn’t work out for him at Elland Road. That could be as much down to the poor season Leeds had, with several players flopping. However, it’s best for both parties that he departs and gets game-time somewhere else. He’s still got many years left in his career and he’ll hopefully kick-on in Holland at Willem II. His new side are currently fourth in the top-flight in Holland, three points off PSV Eindhoven at the top after winning two and losing one of their first three games of the season.