Leeds United midfielder David Batty has revealed he is to seek legal advice following club chairman Peter Ridsdale's comments about his playing ability. Ridsdale has declared that the former England star is no longer capable of playing at the top level. Batty has not played in Leeds' first team since Terry Venables took over at the club and with Ridsdale's re-appointment as chairman at yesterday's AGM, it doesn't seem likely that Batty will be returning anytime in the near future.
Ridsdale insisted yesterday he has been advised it was the unanimous opinion of Venables, former boss David O'Leary, the club's medical staff and independent medical advisors that the midfielder's knee problems mean he cannot play at the top level. "All I can tell you is that Terry Venables has decided that David is no longer capable of playing at the top level. That is unanimous because of the problems with his knees that he has suffered," explained Ridsdale.
Batty's agent Hayden Evans told the Press Association this morning that the possibility of the player's retirement had been mentioned at the AGM. "Given that David Batty strongly refutes the majority of claims made by the chairman and has no intention of retiring it is with regret that he will now be taking legal advice regarding the comments made by the club at the AGM," Evans told PA Sport.
"The word retirement was apparently used. It's unfortunate that the public domain of an AGM and immediately thereafter other media channels were used to convey this message," he added.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
