The talented Irish stopper is now playing for Derry City.
Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino watches from the stands
Former Leeds United youth goalkeeper Eric Grimes has been discussing his time at the club this week. The 22-year-old, a lifelong Leeds United fan, joined the Yorkshire club when he was 16 but left in the summer after failing to make a first-team appearance.
Speaking to The 42 in his native Ireland he spoke about his joy at joining the club as a teenager:
“Yeah, that’s all I want to do. I want to play for Leeds United’. I’d go to bed thinking that afterwards. I dreamt about playing for that club.
“I had a few offers on the table but when your boyhood club comes in it’s an easy decision. When I signed on the dotted line it was surreal.”
However, he went on to speak about the end of his Leeds United career. Grimes was never sent out on loan by the club, despite his desire to do so. He laid the blame for that tactic firmly at the door of Massimo Cellino – who he felt did not want the young players at Leeds out temporarily:
“It was a bit frustrating because I felt I needed to get out and play first-team football somewhere. I had a few opportunities to go but with Cellino, for some reason, they didn’t want to send the young boys on loan at all.
“The final say was his and that kind of hampered my progress a little bit…
“I was pretty desperate to go out on loan, the opportunities were there, but it wasn’t allowed to happen. The last two years at Leeds were a bit topsy-turvy but I really enjoyed my time there. It’s where I got my football education.”
General view inside the stadium before the game – Elland Road
Grimes soon saw himself released by the club and despite brief interest from former youth coach Neil Redfearn at Rotherham United he headed back to Ireland, joining Cork City in the summer.
But after failing to make an impact at the club he made a move to Derry City in January and is now hoping to be a star in his homeland.
His Leeds United experience has not dampened his love for the club. No doubt he will be watching from afar to see if his beloved Leeds can win promotion back to the Premier League.
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