'Irreproachable' Leeds United cult hero agrees transfer deadline day move after month on trial

The wholehearted defender, beloved by Whites supporters after a seven year spell at Elland Road, departed Leeds at the end of last season but is back in the game with Swiss Super League side FC Sion.

Berardi, 33, has agreed a deal until the end of the current season.

A statement from FC Sion said the versatile defender had caught the eye in training and in a pair of friendly appearances.

"Since the resumption in early January, the defender, able to evolve in each of the defensive positions, has been training with the professional group of FC Sion," said a spokesperson.

"In particular, he played in the two friendly matches of the preparation against Servette FC and against BSC Young Boys. Solid in duels and with an irreproachable mentality, he was able to show his qualities."

Sporting director Barthélémy Constantin added: “He knew the high level and has a great experience of Italian and English football. He will bring us his experience for the rest of the season."

Berardi, along with close friend Pablo Hernandez, said an emotion farewell to the Leeds fanbase at the end of last season. A serious knee injury he picked up at Derby County after promotion to the Premier League had been secured kept him out for months, until a May comeback at Southampton.

His Premier League debut as a second half substitute at St Mary's was followed by a final appearance in front of around 10,000 fans at Elland Road against West Brom.

Marcelo Bielsa paid tribute to Berardi, calling him a 'reference' for everyone at the club and predicted that more was to come after his exit from Leeds.

“Berardi is a player whose football conditions I value a lot. I think he’s a current player that still has years of football in front of him, that’s why I also would have valued had he stayed," said the head coach last May.

“That for me is a very complete player, and he’s a team player. He’s a player that can resolve in every defensive position which he has done so and he’s very loved by everyone given that he gives everything. The duels with the forwards, they always found him with conditions to overcome them.

“The example was in the last game after a very long time without having played, he enters after the opponent had been superior to us in the first half and it is a team with important strikers, and he collaborates to neutralise the superiority Southampton had."