It’s been announced today that captain Richard Naylor and goalkeeper Shane Higgs will leave Leeds United when their contracts expire in June.

Shane Higgs had the unenviable role of being an understudy for most of his Leeds career, notching up just 29 appearances in two years. Nevertheless he always remained professional and gave his best when called upon. The 33 year old is now free to find a new club and he goes with our best wishes and thanks for his service to the club.

Richard Naylor was manager Simon Grayson’s first signing at the club and has since made 76 appearances for the Whites.  His arrival rejuvenated the Leeds defence and though his form may have dipped this season, making just 15 appearances, he bowed out in style with some impressive displays when called back into the team. In a season where the downs came as frequently as the ups he was often singled out for criticism but it must be said how much of a loyal servant he has been in his two years at the club. Like Simon Grayson, he was a boyhood Leeds fan and the manager paid tribute to his captain:

“He’s been a great captain for the club, both on and off the field and I can’t speak highly enough of him and what he has done.

“There was no one prouder than Richard last May when we won promotion back to the Championship and he has played a big, big role in the turnaround of this football club.”

Grayson goes on to say how the club isn’t in a position to offer him a new deal and it is only fair to give him the opportunity to find football elsewhere. We’re thankful for his efforts in a role we would all dream about filling and he goes with our best wishes.

In other news, Ramon Nunez has had his contract extended by the club following a successful loan spell at Scunthorpe United. The 25 year old Honduran will now return to Leeds and look to make an impression in the summer. He had made just two substitute appearances for the Whites but looked impressive during his time on loan and on international duty.

The last day of the season in the Football League saw the end of the time away for many of the Leeds loanees – only Adam Clayton is involved in the play-offs. It’s been a mixed season for many of the players but they will all be looking forward to renewing the fight for a first team place or perhaps looking for pastures new in the summer.

Ramon Nunez scored his third goal for Scunthorpe as they drew at home to Portsmouth. It was a fantastic twenty yard strike and he could have extended his tally after going close with another long range effort. His contract is up in the summer so it remains to be seen how much time he will have left at Leeds United.

Aidy White and Adam Clayton played ninety minutes each as MK Dons got the better of Oldham. Clayton’s through pass took a deflection to set up the Dons opening goal. Some Oldham fans have complained about White’s inconsistency but would still like to see him at Boundary Park for another season. It could happen as Simon Grayson suggested this week that, though he’s not ruling out his first team chances at Leeds, he could well go out on loan next season. Clayton will stay with MK Dons until their involvement in the League One play-offs is over.

Fede Bessone played ninety minutes for Charlton in a goalless draw versus Hartlepool. According to fans he had a decent enough performance and even managed to test the opposition goalkeeper. A nightmare start to his Leeds career and an inability to convince the Charlton faithful during his time in the capital leaves doubts over his future.

Tom Lees played the full ninety for Bury in a 3-3 draw away to Stevenage. As we highlighted earlier in the week, Grayson has not ruled out Lees’ future involvement in the Leeds first team but has suggested there are clubs interested in taking the young defender on loan next season.

Loan players will return to Leeds and, depending on individual contract extensions, will take part in pre-season.

Ramon Nunez experienced relegation with Scunthorpe United at the weekend as he was unable to do Leeds a favour against Nottingham Forest. The Iron lost 5-1 but it was Nunez who won the penalty for Scunthorpe’s only goal but it’ll provide little consolation. Apparently, during the penalty incident, Nunez showed some petulance. He wanted to take the penalty but wasn’t allowed much to his displeasure as he argued with a team mate and then, being handed a water bottle, threw it away angrily. It’s a side of Nunez we haven’t seen or heard of before and will be interesting to learn more about his character should Simon Grayson decide to extend his contract.

In League One, Adam Clayton played just the last few minutes for MK Dons. Should Leeds lose both Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson it’s worrying that we may be left with a central midfield of Jonny Howson and Clayton, who can barely get a game at MK Dons. He may well not be ready for the Leeds team next season and he could see himself being loaned out to a team where he’ll actually get reasonable playing time.

Aidy White and Fede Bessone played the full ninety for Oldham and Charlton respectively. Neither performed outstandingly.

After clinching promotion last week, Tom Lees and League Two Bury seemed to be suffering a bit of a hangover as they were turned over 3-1 by Wycombe. At least two of the three were quite soft goals to concede.

Will Hatfield was again not involved by non-league York City. He’s still a youngster but this isn’t a promising sign for his Leeds future.

With the end of the season drawing nearer nerves are tested and emotions run high. Amongst the Leeds loanees there’s been a mixture of successes and failures.

Ramon Nunez was unable to do a favour for Leeds as Scunthorpe United went down 2-1 to Millwall. Nunez was fairly lively and was keen to test the goalkeeper from distance.

Aidan White played ninety minutes for Oldham as the Latics drew. He really seems to have gone off the boil as the season has progressed which is really disappointing for someone with so much obvious potential. It seems the best thing for him now would be to get to the end of the season, have a decent rest and then come back and put in some real hard work during pre-season.

Elsewhere in League One, Adam Clayton played the last ten minutes for MK Dons and Fede Bessone played 86 minutes for Charlton, putting in a pretty average performance. The Charlton camp is still fairly undecided on Bessone but most would only have him signed in the summer if there were no other options. As far as Clayton is concerned, his signing still remains a bit of mystery. He looks likely to have a play-off to contend with as MK Dons currently sit 5^th in League One – hopefully he can have an impact giving him some confidence to take into next season.

Yet again though, this week’s big performer was Tom Lees. The central defender has been integral to Bury’s promotion push and on Monday he was on hand to help them secure promotion. He scored the opening goal – his fifth of the season and third in four games – to set Bury on their way to a 3-2 win over league leaders Chesterfield. It’s unknown how much contact he has had with Leeds over the course of the season but here’s hoping he has a good pre-season and is given his chance. While it may be harder for some of the other loan players to work their way into the team, considering the poor defensive record this season and the increasingly creaky legs of Richard Naylor and Andy O’Brien, there’s definitely reason to give Lees his shot.

Down in non-league, Will Hatfield was yet again an unused sub as York City’s play-off ambitions came to an end in a goalless draw at home to Cambridge United.

Ramon Nunez grabbed his second goal in two games for Scunthorpe United. The Honduran hit a first half equaliser against Coventry to boost The Iron’s survival hopes. His long range strike took a deflection to help it past the goalkeeper. He’s having a fantastic impact for the club.

Another big performer was youngster Tom Lees. He’s having a very good season for League Two Bury as they look to secure automatic promotion. Lees played ninety minutes and helped his side to yet another clean sheet. His biggest contribution however was the only goal of the game – a headed winner from a corner on 56 minutes.

In League One, both Adam Clayton and Aidan White were substitutes for their loan clubs. Clayton came off the bench on 74 minutes as MK Dons went down 1-3 at home to Huddersfield while Aidan White came on for Oldham just after half time. The young winger couldn’t prevent Oldham slipping to another defeat but almost clawed a goal back but his good effort was matched by Exeter’s goalkeeper.

Fede Bessone played ninety minutes as nine-man Charlton Athletic were held to a 2-2 draw with Bristol Rovers. He put in an assured defensive performance and managed to set up Charlton’s second goal.

Will Hatfield was an unused substitute for York City.

Honduran forward Ramon Nunez has extended his loan stay at Scunthorpe United until the end of the season.

Nunez, who found opportunities hard to come by at Leeds, initially joined the Glanford Park club on a one month deal but this has now been extended. The Honduran has put in some impressive performances for Scunthorpe and grabbed his first goal at the weekend.

He has expressed his delight at being able to stay until the end of the season and help Scunthorpe in their fight for survival. Nunez goes on to claim that Leeds United haven’t said anything about his future at Elland Road so he’s focussing on playing well for the Iron and waiting until the end of the season to sort out his future.

There have been calls amongst many Leeds fans for Nunez to be tried out in the Leeds team but with a lot of competition for places this extended loan deal may be the perfect opportunity for the Honduran to show he can cut it in the Championship and persuade Simon Grayson to offer him a new contract in the summer.  He’s expressed his desire to do his best to help Scunthorpe stay in the division, a fighting attitude that wouldn’t go amiss at Elland Road.

Fede Bessone played ninety minutes for Charlton in their 1-0 home defeat to Huddersfield. He seemed to struggle in the first half but grew into the game as it went on, putting in an average performance. The jury seems to be still out on Bessone amongst Charlton fans. Some fans rate him about as highly as Leeds fans do and are praying for a new left back in the summer while some think he’s been a consistent addition to their team. It would be fair to say that the majority are not sold either way and are not sure he brings anything outstanding to the side.

Ramon Nunez bagged his first goal in English football for Scunthorpe United. It was an all-important second goal away against relegation rivals Crystal Palace. The ball was half cleared by the Palace defence and fell to Nunez inside the box to the left of goal. His first touch was assured and he hit an excellent curling, looping effort through a crowd of players and into the net. He seems to have added some flair and creativity to Scunthorpe and, though his tendency to shoot from distance has frustrated some fans, he seems to have really impressed and is becoming a bit of a favourite with many hoping the Iron can capture him permanently in the summer.

While Nunez impresses at Scunthorpe, things seem to have gone stale for Aidy White at Oldham. He was a 73^rd minute substitute at the weekend and isn’t having the same opportunities or the same impact as he did when he first joined the Latics. There are suggestions that inconsistency my by White’s problem – if so, it’s a disappointing sign for his Leeds future.

Young defender Tom Lees has been pretty consistent in the heart of defence for League Two Bury. He popped up at the other end in midweek though grabbing a vital winning goal against Burton Albion and played well again at the weekend to keep consecutive clean sheets. Lees’ form will be invaluable to Bury as they continue to push for promotion.

Despite scoring a late winner last week, Adam Clayton was an unused sub for MK Dons this time round while Will Hatfield again didn’t feature for York City.

Thanks to Mike Parkin for joining us this week. Mike is co-presenter on Watford podcast ‘From the Rookery End’ – you can hear the podcast or read more of Mike’s writing on Watford at www.fromtherookeryend.com and follow him on twitter at @rookerymike.

Ryan - It’s been nearly 8 months since we last met at Vicarage Road when Leeds were 1-0 winners. Has much changed for Watford since then?

Mike - Off the pitch, it looks like a takeover is virtually complete, which will hopefully bring some much needed financial stability to the club.  On the pitch, Watford found their scoring boots since your visit back in August and in Danny Graham we have the League’s leading scorer. We have however lost loanees Jordon Mutch and Andrew Taylor back to their parent clubs which has proved to be significant -  our form has fluctuated since they left.

The game at Vicarage Road in August has proved to be one of the poorest of the season involving Watford, I’d expect a much better diplay (from both sides!) at Elland Road on Saturday.

Ryan – How has your season turned out compared to your expectations at the start of the season?

Mike - Compared to what we expected, this season has been fantastic. Most Watford fans will admit that avoiding relegation was the primary target so to have been in and around the play-offs for most of the season has been as fun as it has been unexpected. We’ve played some great football too.

We’ve score a hatfull of goals which is always good to see, and we’ve had some memorable away wins, inluding the 6-1 demolition of Milwall and the 3-1 victory at Champions elect QPR. We were tipped my many to go down before the season began, so to register those sort of results and stay up with ease has been a source of great pride for us Hornets.

Ryan - Do you think you are still in with a shout of making the play-offs? Is Saturday the last throw of the dice?

Mike - Realistically we’ve got too much to do to make the top six now. It would take an extraordinary sequence of events to see us in the play-offs, so we’ll just sit back and enjoy our summer!

I always feel for the fans of clubs involved in the play-offs – it’s really hard to enjoy them if you are involved. Having said that, we had one of the most stress free experiences in the play-offs when we beat Crystal Palace 0-3 in the first leg away from home, meaning we were as good as in the Final already. We then had a similarly comfortable victory in the Final at Cardiff, although out of respect for you and your readers, I won’t dwell on that match!

Ryan - We had Danny Graham, the league’s top scorer, on loan at Elland Road a few years back and he’s been on red hot form this season. Do you think you’ll be able to keep hold of him in the summer?

Mike - We have to accept that if the right offer comes in for Danny, the likelihood is he will go. Of course we would love to keep him, but a big fee would go a long way to helping the club steady the financial ship. No Watford fan would want to see him go though, and deep down I’d be devastated if he left.

His finishing is excellent, but it is his work rate and movement that make him such a valuable asset. I’ll throw in an obscure fact for you too – Danny Graham is the reigning Watford FC table tenis champion. I’m not sure if that increases his value at all!

Ryan – Who else should we be looking out for in your team?

Mike - Martin Taylor has been immense at Centre Back. Watch out for his runs forward (he’s a big lad, so is hard to miss!), he can be a menace in the opposition box. Will Buckley is a tricky winger who has given most defences a hard time, whilst our midfield maestro Don Cowie is up there with the best assist statistics in the division. Oh, and Lloyd Doyley of course. Legend.

Ryan - If you could sign one current Leeds player for Watford, who would it be?

Mike - If we could turn back the clock, I’d take Tony Yeboah off your hands. I’d love to have seen him smashing a few in off the underside of the crossbar at Vicarage Road. Of the current crop, I wouldn’t mind us putting in a cheeky offer for Robert Snodgrass. He looks like the real deal. You can keep Leigh Bromby though.

Ryan - The Championship 2010/11: 3 up, 3 down?

Mike - Up: QPR, Cardiff and Swansea. Rangers have cracked it, whilst I can’t see Cardiff blowing it again. Swansea have been pretty consistent and play some decent stuff under Rodgers, so I’ll go with them to sneak up via the play-offs.

Down: Sheffield United, Preston and Scunny. All as good as gone already I think. Crystal Palace seem to be finding some form at the right time, so I think it will be the three currently occupying the relegation spots that disappear through the trapdoor.

Ryan - Finally, what’s your prediction for the game? I’m saying Leeds to edge it 2-1.

Mike - Leeds will be up for this in front of a noisy crowd, whilst Watford may be starting to think that the season is over. On the other hand, it’s a massive game for Leeds, whilst Watford have nothing to lose…anything could happen! I’ll go with my head and not my heart this time – Leeds to win 2-0.

It was a poor weekend for Leeds but many of our loanees fared better.

Adam Clayton had the biggest impact of all our players – he came on in the 39^th minute for MK Dons and bagged a 94^th minute winner as they beat Carlisle 3-2. He diverted a low cross into the back of the net from a few yards. Given the nature of his goal, he can be forgiven for breaking his promise not to celebrate against his former club.

One of the biggest shock results of the weekend was Scunthorpe’s 4-1 trouncing of top of the table QPR. Ramon Nunez played in the middle of the park and though he didn’t get on the score sheet he did his bit to help Scunthorpe to a fantastic win after going a goal down early on.

Aidy White and Fede Bessone faced off in the only goalless draw in the Football League on Saturday as Charlton travelled up to Boundary Park. Neither player had an outstanding game.

Meanwhile in League Two, Tom Lees played ninety minutes. He was unable to help Bury keep another clean sheet but ended up on the winning side as they beat Northampton 4-2.

Will Hatfield again wasn’t involved for York City and in a move that went under the radar, Mike Grella has returned to Leeds after his loan spell at Swindon Town.

Ramon Nunez made his debut for Scunthorpe after a 16000 mile round trip with Honduras over the international break. He started reasonably brightly and looked dangerous running at the Norwich defence, firing narrowly over from long range early on. That was as exciting as it got for Nunez and Scunthorpe fans though as he was substituted just after half an hour as Scunthorpe went 2-0 down and were reduced to ten men. The day got worse for Nunez and his new club as they were eventually turned over 6-0.

Fede Bessone played ninety minutes for Charlton in their 3-1 win over London rivals Leyton Orient. He put in an average shift and was unspectacular as fans continue to question his ability.

Oldham got a much needed win with Aidy White in the side. The Leeds winger played eighty minutes and could have got on the score-sheet in the first half but for a good block. Adam Clayton recently joined MK Dons on loan after having limited opportunities at Elland Road. The young midfielder came on for the last half an hour with his side winning 2-0 at Southampton. However, in the time he was on Southampton scored three goals to win the game. This reflects badly on Clayton but the goals weren’t really his fault though the substitution did seem to be misjudged, inviting Southampton to attack.

Striker Mike Grella came on for the last ten minutes or so for Swindon but the game was already tied at 1-1 and it finished that way.

In League Two, Tom Lees played the full ninety, despite Bury losing their manager to Scunthorpe in the week. He helped his side to another clean sheet as they picked up a 3-0 win.

Will Hatfield was not involved for York City this weekend.