If things had worked out different, Andy Rinomhota might have been lining up in the white of Leeds United rather than the dark blue of Cardiff City during Sunday’s thrilling 2-2 FA Cup third round draw in South Wales.
With the former Reading enforcer dropping a genuine midfield masterclass against Premier League opposition, Jesse Marsch could have been forgiven for wishing his enigmatic predecessor had acted upon his interest in a player who caught Marcelo Bielsa’s keen eye during Leeds’ time in the Championship.
“He has come up through our academy and has established himself now, with teams like Leeds talking about him,” then-Reading boss Mark Bowen told Berkshire Live three years ago.
With all due respect to Cardiff City, the fact that Rinomhota finds himself wearing Bluebirds blue as his 26th birthday approaches paints the picture of a footballer who, while still carving out a respectable career in a competitive division, is yet to fulfil the potential he showed at the Madejski.
On the other hand, at 25-year-old, Rinomhota is hardly on the scrapheap. He still has so much time on his side. If the Leeds-born enforcer can make a habit out of performances like the one he put in against his hometown club on Sunday afternoon, who’s to say the Premier League – or even Elland Road – will not come calling at some point in the near future?
Andy Rinomhota reminds Leeds United why they like him in Cardiff City clash
“(Cardiff) needed his bite and industry in midfield,” Wales Online wrote in their post-match report; handing Rinomhata a 9/10 for his efforts.
“Produced a stunning ball over the top to (Sheyi) Ojo for his goal. A monster of a performance in midfield. Pick of the bunch.”
“He’s worked tirelessly in the middle of the park,” Ally McCoist added in commentary duty for ITV; Rinamhota taking home the Man of the Match award to go with his three successful tackles and 31st minute assist.
Despite investing heavily in midfield reinforcements over the summer, there remains a Kalvin Phillips-shaped hole in the heart of Jesse Marsch’s inconsistent Leeds side.
Now, this is not to say Rinomhota could emulate Leeds’ most gifted ball-player of the modern era. But his combination of boundless energy and smart distribution could appeal to a Leeds side likely to see Adam Forshaw follow Mateusz Klich out the door in 2023.
Even if Leeds have no plans to put Rinomhata back on the agenda, his stand-out display in a televised FA Cup clash with a Premier League giant may be the leg-up his career needed.
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