LUFC O'Dea disappointed with Leeds change of heart

Former Leeds United loan player Darren O`Dea says Neil Warnock initially offered him a deal at Elland Road but retracted the offer two weeks later.

The Republic of Ireland young player of the year looked set for a summer move to Elland Road with Warnock admitting he was in talks with O`Dea.

Speaking in The Sun , O`Dea said, "Obviously things have come out in the media that I had my heart set on Leeds, but they were just one of my options.

"Neil Warnock rang my agent Kevin Moran and asked would I like to go to Leeds. He said I would because I`d had a very good season there, I played every game I was available for.

"Internationally, I played a lot of games and won Young Player of the Year which was a big honour, we`d qualified for the Euros and I felt confident.

"They offered me a contract but two weeks later they came back and said they were going in a different direction."

The turning point came following O`Dea`s sending off at Blackpool with just three games remaining in the season. He had only just returned to the side after serving a two-match suspension for picking up ten yellow cards in the season and Warnock and Leeds chairman Ken Bates criticised the defender in the days following the game.

Warnock decided to release O`Dea early from his stay at Elland Road with him only being available for the final game of the season against Leicester City.

Defender O`Dea spent the season on loan at Elland Road and he was a regular in the side making 38 appearances.




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