Manchester City and England star Fabian Delph has confirmed that he would love a return to boyhood club Leeds United in the future.
The 28-year-old came through the youth ranks at Elland Road, establishing himself in the first team in League One and helping the club achieve promotion back to the Premier League.
Sold to Aston Villa in 2009, he did return for a short term loan in 2012, spending less than a month with the Whites in England’s second tier, resulting in a total of 58 appearances for the club.
Having returned to his old stomping ground with England in the 2-0 win over Costa Rica, the City star, who helped Pep Guardiola’s side to the Premier League title last season, confirmed he eyes a return to the club somewhere in his future, telling reporter Adam Pope: “I will always be grateful and hopefully I’ll get back here one day.”
Delph says he regrets only having 1 season playing at Leeds United due to the financial circumstances at the club which saw him leave: “I will always be grateful and hopefully I’ll get back here one day.” #lufc
— Adam Pope (@apopey) June 7, 2018
Opinion
What a side Leeds could have had if they had not found themselves in the financial troubles they did. They are very proud of the talent they have produced through their youth system and Delph is no different, even if he did not spend long at Elland Road. Hopefully for the Whites they find themselves in a position to bring the Manchester City man back when he is still at the top of his game, rather than a final swansong that could, and probably would, end in tears. Still, they have their own team to focus on now and again they are bringing through some exciting talents at Elland Road. The likes of Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Tom Pearce and Paudie O’Connor have all been given the chance to shine in the first team after breaking through the youth sides, and there will be hopes of yet more starlets coming into the senior side over the next couple of years.