Proper news is always thin on the ground during international breaks and the last few weeks of October haven’t really been any different, but one column from local journalist Phil Hay caught my attention as he contemplated one man’s future at Elland Road and Leeds United.
This week’s #lufc column – can Yosuke Ideguchi find a way back at Leeds United?https://t.co/uK1PCuhEZO
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) October 17, 2018
22-year-old Yosuke Ideguchi is somewhat of a conundrum at the club. The highly rated Japanese international arrived at the club from Gamba Osaka in the January 2018 window but we immediately sought to loan him out to Cultural Leonesa and this August he departed for a second time to Greuther Furth.
It’s believed his current ligament knee injury could keep him out for the remainder of the season, so it’s effectively another number of months he’s lost in his career. His contract runs until 2022 and whilst there’s no ill will, plenty have already written him off.
Simple answer…. no. He’s completely finished here after his injury has effectively ruined his current loan spell. Poor lad was on a hiding to nothing from day 1 when we loaned him out… despite him being eligible for the work permit. He’s had a nightmare year.
— Tom Holynski (@ThommHol) October 17, 2018
No
— WeAllLoveLeeds (@AllLoveLeeds) October 17, 2018
Erm that will be a no!
— Dunk (@DunkRed5ive) October 17, 2018
Tbf no. He was never signed to play a part he was signed for commercial reasons in Asia and nobody can convince me otherwise. We as a club ruined his career from certainty for the world Cup to not even making the squad. Feel for the kid me clearly sold down the river by us
— Mark Schofield (@Scoffer8) October 17, 2018
Other comments on social media are of a similar vein, and whilst I find it hard to argue around the ‘commercial’ reasons, stranger things have happened in football so I wouldn’t completely rule out a return just yet.
If a simple offer comes up in January or next summer I’d fully expect us to take some cash to balance out the experiment, but if he remains on our books next August, knuckles down, learns the language so he’s not so isolated and gets back to impressing on the training pitch – Marcelo Bielsa strikes me as a man who will use anyone if he sees something in them and believes they can do a job for him.
Ideguchi’s early talent clearly shows he can play, so if he can more ingratiate himself at the training ground I can see his fortunes changing, but he needs to drive it when he’s fit.