£3m sale to Leeds United suddenly has a new perspective for the Whites

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Leeds have appointed Craig Dean from Oxford.

Leeds United have appointed Oxford United’s chief scout Craig Dean as their new head of emerging talent, adding another valuable figure to their backroom staff, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports.

This is potentially a coup for Leeds, and Dean’s biggest success story during his time at Oxford involves the Whites.

Dean was responsible for identifying Kemar Roofe as a signing for Oxford.

Roofe joined the club in 2015 from West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee and played a key role in Oxford winning promotion to League One.

He scored 25 goals, prompting Leeds to spend £3 million on his services in 2016.

Roofe has not quite met expectations at Leeds in terms of becoming a regular goalscorer, but he has become a very valuable part of the first team squad. This season so far he has netted six times.

Craig Dean’s ability to spot Roofe’s talent and take the gamble is a positive sign for Leeds as they bring him into a role overseeing the recruitment of ’emerging talent’.

The Roofe deal suddenly has a new perspective for the club, and if Dean’s appointment helps them sign more talented players even before they are worth million pound plus fees, it will prove to be a shrewd addition.