Leeds United's signing of Super Eagles central defender Leonard Ngenge was not a last-minute move but the result of a carefully planned process that stretched over two years, according to his handler Abiola Dauda.

Dauda moved to clear up confusion surrounding the player’s previous clubs ahead of his move to Leeds United, following widespread speculation suggesting that Nigeria Premier Football League sides Ikorodu City and Remo Stars were his parent clubs.

Ngenge had already agreed a preliminary contract with Leeds United before his temporary moves to Ikorodu City and Remo Stars. 

"Leonard Ngenge played for my academy, Bilda Football Academy. He signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with Leeds United. I have been seeing a lot of people mentioning Ikorodu City and Remo Stars. He was loaned from Bilda Football Academy," Dauda explained to  allnigeriasoccer.com.

"He already had a pre-contract with Leeds United. I took him to Remo Stars to get more valuable experience before he joins Leeds United in January."

Dauda, a former professional footballer who featured for Red Star Belgrade, Vitesse and Hearts, among others, said his focus has now shifted to mentoring and guiding young talents through the right pathways.

"I have stopped playing professional football; the aim is to help young people and share my experience and knowledge. A lot of these boys need good hands. For two years, I have looked after Leonard to get him to where he is today,” he said.

"My goal is to help the young ones. They need to choose a good pathway. Leonard is a good example of what we are doing."

The groundwork for Ngenge’s move to the United Kingdom was laid in 2023 after he was identified during a scouting programme in Nigeria. 

"It’s all about good networking. We had a scouting programme in 2023. Me and my partners brought scouts from Aberdeen in Scotland and Southampton. Leonard went to Aberdeen on trial and after they liked him. After he returned from the trials at Aberdeen, Leeds United came to Nigeria and saw him, and invited him over for a trial in England,” Dauda revealed.

“He signed a pre-contract with Leeds in August 2024. Before playing at the African Nations Championship, he was invited to the Flying Eagles."

Interest in the defender was intense, with a number of European clubs keeping close tabs on him, but Leeds United's long-term approach proved decisive. 

"There were other clubs interested. After his trials with Aberdeen, another agent tried to take him to Swedish club Hammarby, but we saw how much Leeds wanted to have him. It rarely happens for an academy player to move to an English Premier League club, but Leeds United believed in him."

Southampton were also in the race, but Ngenge and his representatives felt Elland Road was the best destination.

"Southampton also wanted him after the trial at Aberdeen, but Ngenge believed Leeds was the right fit. He enjoyed his time when he first visited Leeds, so it was an easy choice," Dauda concluded.

Ngenge will initially begin his Leeds United career with the club's academy, but he remains eligible to feature in the Premier League because he is an U21 player.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel