Leeds United fans may not have seen the last of Gaetano Berardi.
The fans' favourite saw his Elland Road contract expire at the end of last season.
It brought down the curtain on six colourful years with the Whites for the defender.
It was not the ending Berardi would have wanted, after he suffered an ACL injury in the win over Derby towards the end of the 2019-20 season.
He underwent surgery in July and it was thought he could miss up to nine months' action.
But, speaking to Swiss media, Berardi has said that the door may well be open for an unlikely return to West Yorkshire.
RSI quote the 32-year-old as saying: "I go walking a lot but it’s going well, even if it will be a long recovery.
"At the end of September I should go back to England to define everything and still stay at Leeds.
“We deserved the promotion and we hope to stay up in the Premier League too. I think the team is well equipped and we will have the opportunity to show our qualities.”
Berardi made 25 appearances for United in their title-winning campaign.
His time at Leeds will mostly be remembered for his committed approach to his defensive duties and his disciplinary record.
He picked up a total of eight red cards during his Elland Road stay.
