Gradel lays final-day red to bed

03 May 2011 13:30
Max Gradel feels he has finally atoned for his dismissal on the final day of last season by winning both the club's Players' Player and Fans' Player of the Year awards. Gradel received the wrath of Leeds fans following his moment of madness against Bristol Rovers when he was shown a straight red card for stamping on defender Daniel Jones, reducing his side to 10 men on a day victory was needed to secure automatic promotion back to the npower Championship. Leeds clinched a 2-1 win that day and the 23-year-old, who has has since been at the heart of Leeds' play-off challenge, views his double scoop as pay back for the fans. He said: "I've been working very hard and I want to say thanks to the manager, his staff and the players. At the end of last year I felt I let the team and the fans down and I wanted to give something back to this club because it deserves it. "This is a massive club, it's the best I've been at and to play at a club like this is a dream. I want to keep playing at this club for a long time to come." The Ivorian has scored 17 goals in 43 appearances for Leeds this season during his first full campaign since arriving from Leicester, initially on loan, in October 2009. He signed a permanent deal in January 2010 when the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee.

Source: PA