Academy scout can help Leeds United build strong links with PL champions
Leeds United have been very active in signing young talent in recent seasons and that is largely down to Victor Orta’s philosophy for the club.
The Whites’ sporting director hasn’t been able to do it all on his own however and he has been helped by a former academy player turned scout.
Jakub Bokiej played for Leeds’ youth teams from the age of 14 but quickly realised his dream of becoming a professional footballer was a long way away.
So when he was released as a player, he became an academy scout for the club at a very young age before creating his own footballing academy.
Polish by birth, Bokiej now runs the Polish Football Academy for England in Leeds and he has even worked with Premier League champions Manchester City in choosing the right young talent to bring into the club for some time.
Orta still stays in touch with the now 25-year-old and Bokiej detailed how the Leeds sporting director still asks him for any player that doesn’t make it at Manchester City.
“We were associated with the club’s sports director from the time of my episode,” Bokiej said in an interview with TVP Sport,
“Anyway, we still have quite good relations today. It is also an interesting story. We haven’t seen each other for three or four years since I left, and we met in the car park half a year ago.
“And what captivated me? He gave me his business card and asked that if I had a player who did not make it to City, I should send it to him.”
It is probably a connection that no one outside of Leeds United even knew about but it has already proved crucial in bringing a particular talent to Elland Road.
Currently, out on loan at Blackburn Rovers, Ian Poveda was once a prodigy at The Etihad but he was poached by Leeds United in January 2020 and his progression since has been highly encouraging.
He is yet to reach a Premier League level but he is trending in the right direction to become one and he surely isn’t the last City reject to find a new lease of life in Yorkshire thanks to Bokiej’s connections with both clubs.
In other Leeds United news, this player has been spotted running at the club’s training ground as he returns from injury.