Monty Gimpel's departure from Leeds United

Monty Gimpel -  the star that never was

What has happened to the youngster with 'huge potential' that was Monty Gimpel? Signed for Leeds United back in 2011, after they had managed to beat off the likes of Premier League big guns Liverpool & Chelsea, with Arsenal also showing an interest, it seemed like Leeds had signed a real coup...

Winner of the Independent Schools U16 Football Player of the Year, it was clear that we were looking at a rising star. Touted to be one of the next big players in defense, Leeds United, and Simon Grayson, were evidently very pleased to have secured his services for the future.

He had been told he would be in serious contention for a first team spot within 6 months of joining the club, but this possibility never seemed to develop into a reality.

Having heard nothing of the youngster, and with Leeds United's youngsters being so difficult to keep tabs on, it was no surprise to find that, along with nine other players no longer in McDermott's plans for the new project at Leeds United, Gimpel was being released.

I've every confidence in McDermott and his plans for the future, but when I see players being released who received so many plaudits, I guess I can be forgiven for failing to understand the reasoning behind it.

This has happened with Leeds United on so many occasions; sign a player, praise a player, release them the following season... For all the success the academy at Leeds is supposed to have had, I find it baffling that we've not seen more talent break through into the first team lately...(other than the likes of Sam Byram...)

So... why has he gone? What happened to that great potential? No questions seem to have an answer no matter where you look on the web; only rumours and speculation can be found.

If anybody knows anything about Gimpel, please let me know, because I'm dying to find out just why we never got to see the Full Monty...