Leeds United certainly knew what they were doing when they sealed the signing of Darko Gyabi from Manchester City 12 months ago. The midfielder’s £5m price tag did not go unnoticed, but he was soon able to make it clear why the club had spent so much money to bring the then 18-year-old to Elland Road.
With his towering frame and silky first touch, Gyabi caught the eye in training and his brief time on the field in Australia after being whisked away on the Whites’ tour Down Under. Then came his first outing on home soil with the club’s U21s as Gyabi was thrown straight into the Whites’ line-up to face Derby County at Pride Park and the gulf in class was immediately apparent.
The Rams couldn’t lay a glove on the midfielder who oozed quality as he ran rings around the home side, helping Leeds to a 5-2 win on the opening day. That outing in Derbyshire was enough to get those in attendance incredibly excited about his potential and it set the tone for what was to come.
