Leeds United: Deadline day departure in 2011 was poorly judged by Ken Bates - View | OneFootball

FLW look back in time at Ken Bates' decision to sell Max Gradel from Leeds United.

Former Leeds United star Max Gradel was a fan favourite at Elland Road prior to his sale in 2011 by Ken Bates.

The 36-year-old has had a terrific career, and his magnum opus perhaps came this year when he helped his Ivory Coast side lift the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with a triumph over Nigeria in February.

At that age, it's incredible to think he’s still been able to perform on the international stage, given how much attacking talent that the Ivory Coast have. Gradel is a player that every Leeds, Leicester City, and AFC Bournemouth fan will have been delighted to see achieve something like that late in his career.

His career in England spanned those three sides and began all the way back in 2004 after moving to the UK from Paris, with Gradel attending Lewisham College Football Academy under the tutelage of then-head coach Aaron Jacob. It was there that he was spotted by Leicester and snapped up to their academy.

Max Gradel's Leeds career

Despite enjoying some success at those other clubs, it was with Leeds that Gradel showcased his best. He initially joined Simon Grayson's side on loan for a month in October 2009.

He made his debut as a substitute during a 2-1 win over Norwich City the same evening he signed. Not long after, Gradel scored his first goal for the club against Yeovil Town within minutes after coming on as a substitute, which prompted chants of "Grayson sign him up" from the Leeds crowd.

They would initially extend his loan, before eventually agreeing a permanent deal with the club, and Gradel became a vital component in winning a second promotion of his career from League One to the Championship. Despite being sent off for violent conduct in Leeds' final match of the 2009/10 season against Bristol Rovers when, after a moment of madness, he got himself a red card and then refused to leave the pitch in the first half.

However, Leeds won the game 2-1 and were promoted, with Gradel having contributed well with six goals and four assists from 32 games. It was in the following season that he developed into one of the deadliest wingers Leeds have seen in the last 20 years, though. He bagged a further 18 goals to help the team finish seventh in the table in their first year back in the second division.

The lightning pace of Gradel, combined with a more refined technical game the following season after continuing rapid development, saw him assist a further seven goals that season on top of the 18 he managed for himself, all of which came in 44 games.

Gradel was electric on the wing for Leeds, with his speed and directness making him an absolutely devastating player for the Whites at both League One and Championship level. The Ivorian was part of a brilliant frontline during Grayson’s tenure and picked up the Player of the Season award in his final full season where Leeds scored 81 goals as a team in the league, which speaks for itself.

He and Robert Snodgrass became one of Leeds' most famous and fruitful wide pairings, across both the second and third tier. The Scotsman had wonderful crossing ability from the right, as he was able to stand the ball up to the back post with his left foot. Gradel, meanwhile, would turn his marker inside and out, had deadly ball-striking around the edge of the 18-yard-box, and would unleash shots whenever he got the opportunity to.

It was a dream pairing for Leeds and Grayson, with Luciano Becchio feeding off everything else as the poacher inside the box. However, such a season from Leeds' forward players was always likely to see many of them attract interest from elsewhere, including top leagues around Europe as well.

Ken Bates' Max Gradel error

With several clubs interested in Gradel and much speculation on his future, it was always likely he would be sold during the Ken Bates regime. He featured at the beginning of the second season back in the Championship after they narrowly missed out on promotion, but Leeds were in the process of losing plenty of the best players from that side Grayson had built.

He scored during a 3-1 defeat to Southampton in the opening game of the season and was also involved against West Ham United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough. However, on deadline day, Leeds eventually accepted an offer from French side Saint Étienne, which was a huge blow for Leeds supporters at the time.

He went on to enjoy success in Ligue 1, including finishing as the club's top scorer in 2014. He even briefly returned to English football with one of his former clubs Bournemouth. However, his time with the Ligue 1 outfit was the most fruitful, with Gradel contributing to 47 goals in 117 games for his new side.

Leeds continued to sell their best players at cut-price fees under Bates, and Gradel had shown a willingness to stay but no contract offer was forthcoming. The then 23-year-old eventually handed in a transfer request when it was clear Bates had no intention of handing him an improved deal.

Leeds supporters saw a team that could have been vying for promotion slowly dismantled, and Gradel was one of the first and best from that era of the club to see the exit door long before reaching his peak as a player. Not only did Leeds lose a quality player in Gradel, but the timing of it left them short, as they were not able to source a replacement in the dying embers of the window.

An integral part of many teams he played in, with his pace and finishing providing all sorts of problems and headaches for opposing full-backs. The 36-year-old continues to play now, with recent years at Sivasspor and Gaziantep FK in the Turkish Süper Lig.

He has since signed for Sakaryaspor in the second tier but will always be remembered most fondly by Leeds, where he was one of many "what might have been" players during the Ken Bates era of the club.