, Leeds United: does Beckford question have an answer?

Leeds United: does Beckford question have an answer?

With the following two tweets, posted by Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Phil Hay (@PhilHayYEP) this afternoon, it seems that Leeds United’s ‘Beckford Question’ might well be formulating an answer.

With Leeds United suffering a goal drought last season, and Beckford scoring 15 goals (12 in the league, 3 in the play-offs) at Preston whilst on loan from Bolton Wanderers, who have decided not to retain his services following the release of their ‘retained player list’ last week. In fact, so far this season the 12 goals for Preston in League One only form part of the 17 goal haul he has for this season alongside the two he scored in the League Cup for Bolton. Like a heavyweight boxer, the last thing they lose is their punch, Jermaine Beckford is in no danger of losing the thing that made him potent in the white of Leeds United, his goal scoring capability…not if the following is anything to go by.

According to Phil Hay, Leeds didn’t only just send ‘someone’ to watch Beckford in the second leg of Preston’s play-off semi-final win over Chesterfield (where Beckford scored the above goal), Massimo Cellino himself went in person to cast his eye over the ex-Elland Road crowd favourite. Hay also reports that Leeds are one of a group of teams interested in securing the services of Beckford on a free transfer with obviously Preston being one of these, alongside Uwe Rösler’s old team Wigan Athletic.

With Preston deservedly in the spotlight at Wembley in the League One play-off final, the spotlight will turn to Jermaine Beckford; if he has a good game and scores then you can almost guarantee that more teams will join the throng rather than be found standing on the touchlines. If Leeds are serious, you’d like to think so with il capo Cellino embarking on a personal scouting mission, then you’d hope that his history with Leeds (4 goals and 12 assists in 147 games) would count positively as would the affection that the majority of the crowd hold for him. There are some questioning his efficacy at Championship level, but my view is that we could easily buy a player that isn’t half as good. A free is a free and there’s nothing that Yorkshire likes more than something with that price tag.

Featured image credit: Eddie Lennon (Wikimedia commons)

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