Alex Cairns

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

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. 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. 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. Prior to the next match against Leicester City, Grayson brought in young Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy on an emergency loan. 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.

Cairns signed a new two-year deal at the club on 19 January. At the end of the January transfer window, Cairns joined Conference National side Barrow on a one-month loan. 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. He made no further appeara