, Leeds United loan player De Bock return confirmed – personal reasons

Leeds United loan player De Bock return confirmed – personal reasons

Laurens De Bock is a January 2018 signing that still leaves many Leeds United fans shaking their heads and wondering: What was all that about? Now his return to Elland Road has been confirmed by Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson.

United signed the 27-year-old Belgian from Club Brugge for a fee in the region of £1.5million in early January 2018. Much was expected of the former Belgium Under-21 international left-back but it is safe to say that promise hasn’t delivered.

His debut versus Millwall promised much amidst a Leeds United performance under Thomas Christiansen that was devoid of any invention and saw the start of a mini-slump that marred a sparkling start to the 2017/18 Championship campaign.

Despite that encouraging start to his Leeds career, it tailed off quickly for De Bock that first season at Elland Road and he quickly fell out of favour. It was also obvious that the Belgian left-back, whose current deal expires in the summer, wasn’t a part of Marcelo Bielsa’s ongoing plans and he spent last season back in Belgium on loan at KV Oostende for whom he made 13 appearances – scoring one goal.

This season has been spent out on loan at League One side Sunderland where he has again failed to make much of an impact, appearing in just five League One games for the Black Cats. Earlier it was rumoured that De Bock might be recalled by Leeds United and that has proven to be an assumption that has turned out to be true.

After today’s drawn game away at Fleetwood Town, Sunderland boss Parkinson revealed that this has indeed been the case and that Leeds United have exercised their option of an early recall. Quoted in the Sunderland Echo, Parkinson said: “Laurens has gone back, he wanted to go back to Belgium. Leeds had the option to call him back. It was more a personal thing, he wanted to go back home.”

This return to Elland Road is likely only a temporary measure ahead of the Whites cutting their losses in engineering a return to Belgium for the homesick left-back.

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