Joel Ekstrand makes most recent comeback but Leeds United were right to pull plug on deal

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In the summer of 2016,  plenty of Championship teams were keeping their eyes free agent defender Joel Ekstrand.

The 27-year-old was without a club after leaving Watford when his contract with the club came to an end. His departure came after missing the entire 2015-16 season with a serious knee injury. He had not played a game for the club since March 2015. But he was still highly regarded in the Championship and seemed on his way to Elland Road to join Leeds. Then, as Ekstrand explained to Swedish media. Leeds pulled the plug at the last minute.

“I was offered a contract after the medical examination.

“Afterwards the negotiations were tough. The survey found that my knees looked different, which is obvious when one knee has been operated on for a cruciate ligament injury. They tried to use it against me. Therefore, it was as it was.”

– Ekstrand on failed Leeds move

Ekstrand eventually joined Bristol City on a free but struggled and was released in January. He played twice for the club.

He joined relegation strugglers Rotherham United in February. Two weeks later he featured in a 5-0 thrashing against Cardiff City. The Swede, who has two caps for the national team, did not play for the club again.

Since then, he has done little to convince Leeds that they made a mistake. Ekstrand headed back to Sweden in January 2018, joining AIK on a three-year deal. However, Leeds’ concerns over injury proved to be correct. Ekstrand has struggled since joining AIK. It is club policy with the Stockholm team not to reveal the type of injuries suffered by players long-term, so it is not known if the knee is again the issue.

Ekstrand recently made his first league appearance for AIK, who won the Swedish championship this season. The centre-back came on in the final game of the season against Kalmar. It was his second appearance for the club, after a cup game in April.

But in the two and a half years since Leeds United decided to pull the plug on a deal, Ekstrand has played just five times. In the past 20 months, his game time amounts to just 10 minutes.

Hopefully, this is the end of Ekstrand’s injury hell and he can find his feet at AIK. But Leeds United will be certain they made the right call in 2016.