Leeds United v Watford: Deadliest striker is biding his time for the cause

LEEDS UNITED fans do not usually have too much cause to thank Darren Huckerby.

The striker was hardly a roaring success following a £4m switch from Coventry City in 1999, as a scoring record of just two Premier League goals in 40 appearances shows.

Not only that, but when asked last year by the local paper in Coventry what his response had been on hearing from then Sky Blues manager Gordon Strachan that Leeds wanted to sign him, Huckerby replied: “I didn’t want to go.” Hardly the words of someone likely to endear himself to the Elland Road faithful.

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What United fans can, however, be grateful to the retired 34-year-old for is nudging Davide Somma in the direction of Elland Road when the pair were team-mates at Major League Soccer side San Jose Earthquakes.

Somma, 23 at the time, was desperate to make his mark back in Europe after an aborted spell at Perugia in Serie A and a couple of stints with minor league clubs in Italy, so Huckerby offered to make a few calls on his behalf.

“Darren was great,” recalls the Johannesburg-born striker who, since joining Leeds, has gone on to make his international debut for South Africa. “I’d signed for San Jose after realising Italian football was not for me due to the pace being a bit slow.

“I met Darren and told him I didn’t want to play in the MLS, which I saw as more a competition for players coming to the end of their careers. Darren said, ‘I’ll make a few calls and see if I can get you a trial at Leeds’.”

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Huckerby did just that, prompting Somma to make a decision that he has never regretted. He said: “I bought a one-way ticket.

“At the time, I was working with my dad as a carpenter and knew this would be my big chance. I was determined to make it, so got myself a one-way ticket to England.

“As well as Darren sorting out Leeds, my agent also set me up with a trial at QPR. That didn’t work out but, thankfully, Leeds did and a couple of years later I am still here and really enjoying it.”

Somma, who moved to the United States with his family at the age of 12, has proved to be a hit at Elland Road, even allowing for the fact 14 of his 25 appearances for Leeds have come from the bench.

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Despite such a relatively small number of starts, the 26-year-old has already netted 11 goals – making him, on strike rate, the deadliest hitman in the Championship with a goal every 100 minutes he has spent on the field.

Danny Graham has the next most impressive ratio with the Watford striker having found the net a little under once every 150 minutes, meaning Somma could ask with some justification why his starting roles have been so scarce.

Not, however, that he is likely to be banging on the United manager’s door any time soon.

He said: “I am just happy to be here. I want to play, of course I do. But the team has been doing well. I enjoy just coming in and scoring goals.

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“Last season, I’d been a bit worried when the coaches had said I had to go and sign for a lower league club. I went to Chesterfield and got injured but then I went to Lincoln, where I was fortunate to work under Chris Sutton.

“I scored a few goals (nine in 14 appearances). Lincoln wanted to sign me in the summer but I saw Jermaine Beckford leaving as a chance for me. I knew Luciano (Becchio) was going to play and that Billy (Paynter) had also signed but I just didn’t care.

“This was my chance and I was determined to take it.”

Somma did just that, announcing himself to the Championship by coming off the bench to net twice in a 3-1 win over Millwall last August.

Now, with 11 goals to his name and five games to go, the striker is eyeing a spectacular finale. He said: “This season has been like a dream but if we could get to the play-off final at Wembley and win it then that really would be a perfect ending.”