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« på: September 05, 2009, 13:56:35 »
"Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has rounded on "baby-farming" big clubs for the manner in which they go about recruiting young players from other clubs.
In recent seasons, United have seen a number of Academy schoolboys move on to other clubs before taking up the offer of a scholarship at Thorp Arch.
The most recent case involves young defender Luke Garbutt, who opted to join Everton during the summer in preference to continuing his career at the Leeds Academy by joining the club's scholarship scheme.
Another two schoolboys moved across to Man City during the summer, but the chairman revealed that 14-year-old Elliott Kebbie, an Academy youngster who was targeted by Manchester United and Everton, signed with Leeds on Saturday morning.
The Leeds chairman, his wife Suzannah, and the club's management staff hosted the annual dinner for the club's Academy youngsters and their families at Elland Road on Friday evening, ahead of the club's clash with Stockport County.
"We hear about these big clubs stripping lower clubs and in fact we have lost three this summer," the chairman told LUTV.
"Manchester City have taken two of our 14-year-olds and Everton have nicked Luke Garbutt, our England youth international captain, and there is a tribunal about that on Monday.
"Both Man United and Everton came in for Elliott Kebbie who is 15 next week. He visited Man United and Everton and came back and said to his mum, who we were sat with on Friday, 'I want to stay at Leeds' and he signed on Saturday morning so we are delighted.
"History shows that so many of these kids get star struck by big clubs who take them on and disappear again.
"Remember Tom Taiwo who went to Chelsea? He's on loan at Carlisle, and there was Michael Woods? Never heard of him since.
"As I said in the papers on Saturday morning, and I make no apologies for it, big clubs treat kids like horsemeat without any respect to their dignity or future careers.
"It's like horse-racing. You sign 10, you want one, and you dump the other nine. Some clubs are doing it with kids and it's not fair. It destroys their lives, it destroys their confidence, and in some cases it destroys their careers.
"If you stay at a smaller club you get a better chance of success and coming through. Even after losing Fabian Delph here we have Aidy White, Jonny Howson, Ben Parker and a few more who have chances of first team football.
"They know if they have the opportunity and they stay at Leeds Academy - one of the best best in the country - they will be allowed to let their talent flourish and pursue their careers in a proper way."
This week, FIFA banned Chelsea from buying players until 2011 after they were found guilty of inducing a young player to break his contract with French club Lens, and the Leeds chairman is hoping that sends out the right message.
"I hope so because it's been going on for far too long," he added. "There should be a limit on young players clubs can sign.
"Clubs are signing so many, it's like baby-farming. Sometimes it's done just to stop other clubs from having them."
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Enoch is back training. Striker Enoch Showunmi says he is "feeling good" after taking part in a full training session for the first time in seven months this week.