Leeds United not being proven wrong one year after Jack and Paul McKay release

Add as preferred source on Google

In January 2016, Leeds United announced the surprise signing of both Jack and Paul McKay on two-and-a-half-year deals from Doncaster Rovers. The twin brothers, Jack a striker and Paul a centre-back, were immediately put into the under-23s with the hope of one day playing for the Leeds first team. Steve Evans, the then Leeds manager, personally advocated a move for the pair.

That never happened and it is now just over a year since Leeds released the pair.

The McKay’s, whose father is prominent football agent Willie McKay, struggled to make an impact on the Leeds first-team.

Jack never featured for the Leeds first XI, spending time out on loan at Airdrieonians, Paul featured once. He played against Sutton United in the FA Cup due to a centre-back injury crisis. Leeds were dumped out by the non-league side.

Leeds fans never truly understood their arrival and, after intense under-23 recruitment from Victor Orta last summer, the writing was on the wall for the players.

“I looked at them when I was manager of Rotherham but I wasn’t able to do a deal.

“We heard that West Ham United had had an offer accepted so I sat down with the president (Massimo Cellino) and we agreed to match that offer. From there it was a decision for the boys.”

– Steve Evans on signing the twins

In mid-January last year they joined Cardiff City after a short trial. It left some Leeds fans wondering if they could fare better at the now Premier League side.

Neither player has made a significant push for first-team football in the Welsh capital and Paul recently headed out on loan to Morecambe.

It seems that Leeds United are not exactly missing the pair.