Leeds United face potential transfer regret as former prospect receives England call after European exploits
It has been quite the week for former Leeds United prospect Max Dean.
On Thursday, he stepped off the bench at Stamford Bridge in the colours of Belgian side KAA Gent, registering an assist against Chelsea in a Europa Conference League clash.
Less than 24 hours later, he received his maiden call-up to the England Men’s Elite League Squad, more commonly known as the under-20s.
It marks yet another milestone for the 20-year-old, who has thrived in the pressure cooker that is senior football since leaving Leeds in January 2023.
He was thrown into the deep end when Milton Keynes Dons struck a deal to sign the former Everton trainee for an undisclosed fee. The club faced a battle to retain League One status, one they eventually lost.
He had been taken to the Dons by Mark Jackson, his former Leeds youth coach, who paid the price for relegation with his job.
The circumstances were far from ideal but Dean kicked on, scoring 19 goals in 34 appearances in his first full season of EFL football.
Speculation regarding interest from Europe began to swirl and Dean was eventually prised from his League Two home, signing for Gent in July. While not yet a regular starter, the charismatic marksman has already notched five goals in 12 appearances.
Reports indicated that Leeds benefited from a sell-on clause when Gent bought Dean, although it appears he may still be a player they regret allowing to move on.
Hindsight is of course a wonderful thing and Dean faced stiff competition in the attacking department while on the books at Elland Road.
However, it is hard to imagine the frontman not being in the frame under Daniel Farke had he perhaps been loaned out, rather than sold.
Earlier this year, Dean paid tribute to Jackson’s influence on his career but also reserved praise for Marcelo Bielsa, who he trained under at Thorp Arch.
Speaking to Mail Online, he said: “I absolutely love him [Bielsa]. Without him and Mark Jackson, I don't think I would have made it. It was crazy but every session was just so detailed, everything down to a 'T'.
“I remember one game, we played Wolves away, Bielsa pulled me to the side and I thought, ‘I don't know what's going to happen here’.
“He just said ‘really well done’ and I thought there was going to be more but he just walked off. The training was really hard under Bielsa but you could see the benefits of it for the first team and the under-23 team. We were running teams into the ground when it got to the 50th minute.”