Leeds United: Massimo Cellino's wild recruitment stategy underlined by 90-minute flop - View | OneFootball

FLW look back in time at Massimo Cellino's decision to bring Granddi N'Goyi to Leeds United.

Many players have come through the doors at Elland Road over the years, from both ends of the spectrum for Leeds United with both the weird and the wonderful — which was especially chronic during Massimo Cellino's time at the club.

The Cellino era is one that Leeds supporters will be desperate to forget, as it was full of controversy, off-field drama, and inconsistent results as well. Recruitment was also a messy process and plenty of it lacked the joined-up thinking required to be a serious Championship operator.

Cellino spent three years as the owner of the Whites after buying a majority share in the club from GFH, and it’s fair to say it was a hectic period, with Leeds ultimately falling short of winning promotion and arguably going backwards during his tenure.

The former Leeds owner was a controversial figure during his time at Elland Road, and he got things badly wrong frequently, including the signings he made during his first full season in charge of the club.

Cellino arrived at Elland Road in chaotic fashion, infamously sacking manager Brian McDermott on transfer deadline day in January 2014 despite not having officially taken over the club, and that would be a sign of things to come.

McDermott was reinstated the following day, but it would only be a short reprieve for the former Reading manager, as he was sacked in the summer following a 15th-placed finish.

The previous season had seen Leeds survive in the Championship, thanks in large part to the goals of Ross McCormack, who was then sold to Fulham in the transfer window for a fee of around £11 million.

They would use the funds from the McCormack sale to put it towards no fewer than 15 signings that summer, and further in the January window, too. The majority were not domestic-based players, but from Serie A, B, and C.

He continued to make additions — predominantly from Italy — in the winter window, with Edgar Cani and Granddi N'Goyi the last among them in the winter market.

The final signings came late on when they on loan for the remainder of the 2014/15 season. Unsurprisingly, both were just two on a long-list of Massimo Cellino signings that did not work out at all in West Yorkshire. N'Goyi perhaps summarises that period for the club even more so than any other player.

N'Goyi is one of Leeds' strangest ever signings

On 26 January 2015, N'Goyi joined Leeds on loan until the end of the 2014/15 season, with the option for the club to complete a permanent deal. Much like Cani, his time with the club was completely forgettable.

His move from Palermo did not become permanent, with Ngoyi making just one appearance for the side. On 14 April 2015, his debut came when he started against Norwich City during a 2-0 defeat.

He, like many of Cellino's signings that season, looked out of his depth and was never given another chance to showcase his talent. He left with many at Leeds scratching their heads as to why he was ever signed in the first place.

Neil Redfearn had not included him in the matchday squad for the first 12 games after joining, before N'Goyi was seen on the bench for the two games prior to his solitary appearance against Norwich.

Leeds' caretaker boss would never play him again, with the DR Congo international left on the bench during the final five fixtures of the season, despite playing the full 90 minutes against the Canaries.

Leeds ended the campaign 15th, and, unsurprisingly, did not take up the option to buy N'Goyi. Now 36, he has long since retired, with N'Goyi appearing briefly in France with Dijon FCO and US Sénart-Moissy before calling time on his playing career in 2018.

It was one of the strangest signings on a long-list under Cellino.