Habib Habibou admitted that joining Leeds United early in his career was a huge mistake, stating it is one of his two biggest regrets to date.
The striker moved to Elland Road on loan from Zulte Waregem in the January 2013 transfer window, but the move proved to be a disaster as he managed just four appearances and 77 minutes of action before the end of the season.
Unsurprisingly, the deal did not become a permanent one and he returned to Zulte Waregem before being sold to KAA Gent the following January.
The 35-year-old played for clubs like Lens and Rennes after the English club and is currently a free agent, leaving Romanian side Politehnica Lasi in 2020.
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Speaking about his time at Leeds, Habibou told DH: “I wanted to leave Zulte Waregem in the transfer window of January 2013 when he already had 13 goals and was a success.
“West Ham was on it. I even waited in a hotel in Canary Wharf in London for the transfer to be formalized, but the agents screwed up at the last moment and everything was cancelled.
“When I returned to Waregem, I forced myself to leave anyway. Playing in England was my dream. I signed for Leeds in the Championship, and it was a very bad idea. If I had stayed at Zulte I think we would have won the title and I could have made a better transfer afterwards.
“The other regret is leaving Gent too quickly, at the end of the 2014 summer transfer window, the title season. I was happy to sign in Rennes, but I should have persevered in Gent.”
