Where is Laurens De Bock? Leeds United flop in fourth tier after Marcelo Bielsa threw him on the scrapheap

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Left-back has been what feels like an eternal issue for Leeds United. Gabriel Gudmundsson is doing his best to end what has been a problem position at Elland Road for years.

Ever since Charlie Taylor left Elland Road to join Burnley in 2017, Leeds have been unable to properly solve the left-back conundrum. Gjanni Alioski, Vurnon Anita, Stuart Dallas, even Junior Firpo have tried.

Dallas is obviously a Leeds legend, but was a whole lot better in midfield under Marcelo Bielsa. Alioski was a winger, and Firpo was dismal in the Premier League, even if he became a favourite in the Championship.

With Firpo leaving on a free in the summer, Leeds signed Gudmundsson. One of Leeds’ better signings, he made a mistake against Spurs and with Sweden, Gudmundsson has been guilty of a howler this break.

But Gudmundsson is just the latest in a long list of left-backs Leeds have brought in to try and solve the issue long-term. The first to try and replace Taylor, six months after his exit, was Laurens De Bock.

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Laurens De Bock’s dismal Leeds United spell after £1.5m move

Having impressed in the Champions League and there talk of a Belgium call-up, Leeds swooped to sign the impressive left-back De Bock from high-flying Club Brugge. It felt like a really impressive addition.

But De Bock’s spell would last just seven games. Thrown on the scrapheap, De Bock spent the next four and a half years on the books, loaned to Oostende, Sunderland, ADO Den Haag and Zulte Waregem.

Marcelo Bielsa chose not to include De Bock in his Leeds plans from the moment he arrived as Leeds manager, and eventually De Bock left in the summer of 2022 with Jesse Marsch in charge at Elland Road.

Where is Laurens De Bock now? Fourth tier for Belgian flop

Interestingly, De Bock joined Zulte Waregem in the summer of 2022 after his fourth and final loan away from Leeds. But in the same summer, he joined Greek side Atromitos. He stayed put for two seasons.

After 61 appearances, he left as a free agent and would remain without a club until January of this year, returning to his boyhood club where he first began his academy years, fourth-tier outfit HO Halken.

He’s since played 26 times for Halken, 28 years after initially joining their academy in 1997 aged just five. The fourth tier of Belgian football, De Bock has captained his side in their last two league games.

Indeed, Halken are pushing for promotion, sitting in fourth place with 23 points from 12 games. De Bock has even scored two goals during his 26 games. A fall from grace, the first victim of the left-back curse.