Many Leeds United supporters may recall a certain Dominic Poleon on the books at Elland Road. In 2010, the Whites were back in the Championship after an unforgivable spell in League One.
Three years of embarrassment were over and, as well as bolstering the squad to avoid a calamitous return to the third division, Leeds were looking to the future. Simon Grayson was midway through his four-year spell and, for the first time in years, United looked stable.
Chelsea were Premier League champions and Leeds were about to sign a player previously on their books as a kid. At 17, Poleon had slipped through the net at Stamford Bridge like so many others before him, his path to the first team blocked by an abundance of international superstars.
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A stopgap at Southend United allowed the forward to finish his school years while pursuing his footballing dream. But it was Leeds who would give Poleon his chance to shine.
After impressing in the academy ranks during his debut season, the prospect scored 12 youth goals the following year to emerge as a potential future star. Ahead of the 2012-13 campaign, Neil Warnock - now Leeds boss after replacing Grayson - drafted Poleon into the first-team squad.
On his first professional start, he scored. Bagging the second in a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest offered a glimpse into his never-to-be-filled potential.
Warnock soon started to question his commitment, insisting Poleon risked his career “fizzling out” into obscurity. And that is exactly what happened.
Several injuries and failed loan moves plunged the forward’s career further into limbo. In 2014, he was allowed to leave for Oldham Athletic on deadline day - his Elland Road dream was over.
Hard work beats talent when talent cannot work hard and that rings true for Poleon. A once-promising striker was on his way to becoming a journeyman, representing seven clubs in nine years.
However, he has now found a settled home at Ebbsfleet United. Signed in 2021, the now 29-year-old is a goal machine in the National League South.
Poleon has scored 32 goals in 39 games to help the Fleet climb to the top of the league. A stunning solo strike saw the former Leeds talent roll back the years, cutting in from the left flank before firing a 20-yard screamer into the top corner to sink Slough Town 1-0.
Form is temporary, class is permanent. As he approaches his thirties, could Poleon be about to enjoy a Jamie Vardy-style explosion during his twilight years?
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