Everyone remembers Jonathan Woodgate’s Real Madrid debut. After a long injury lay-off, he conceded a penalty and got sent off, and on Sunday, Leeds United product Max Dean suffered similar.
Woodgate joined Real Madrid in August 2004, but was injured at the time. His debut eventually came a year later in September 2005, in a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. Finally injury-free, he started the game.
An own goal, Woodgate missed a sitter, and was sent off for a second yellow shortly after the hour mark. Despite his howler of a debut, the Leeds academy product was applauded as he left the field of play.
Real Madrid fans are unsympathetic at the best of times, and yet, Woodgate’s misfortune was met with a sympathetic reception from the Santiago Bernabeu. For Max Dean, it was largely similar on Sunday.
Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate, Jason Wilcox
5 Dec 2000: (left to right) Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate and Jason Wilcox of Leeds United in action during the UEFA Champions League match against Lazio at the Stadio Olympico in Rome, Italy. Leeds United won the match 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Stu Forster /Allsport
Max Dean endured dismal second Gent outing after injury
Having left Leeds for MK Dons and then Gent, Dean has made a brilliant start in Belgium. Joining in the summer of 2024, the Leeds academy product scored 13 goals in 30 appearances before injury struck.
A cruciate ligament injury ruled Dean out from December 2024 until now. He came on as a sub in Gent’s second-to-last outing, laying on an assist in a 4-0 win over Standard Liege at the end of last month.
On Sunday, Dean came off the bench again at half-time. Gent were losing 2-0 to Leuven and turned to Dean to change the game, but the Leeds product missed a penalty and was shown a straight red card.
Incredibly similar to Woodgate’s Madrid debut. Two Leeds academy products, both sent off and guilty of major incidents in the game after long injury lay-offs. Dean will now be suspended for the next three.
SOCCER JPL D13 OH LEUVEN VS KAA GENT
Photo by BRUNO FAHY/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images
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Max Dean had to be dragged away by Gent teammates
Perhaps a harsh red card, Dean attempted to stop a Leuven counter by accepting a yellow card, only to be shown a red. It resulted in ugly scenes in which Dean was confronted by a Leuven player after his red.
Dean had to be dragged back by a Gent teammate, with the former Leeds striker incandescent that not only had he received a red card when he intended to accept a yellow, but that he’d been confronted.
Dean remains well-liked at Gent after Conor McGregor celebrations and an impressive tally of goals in his first six months with the club. But this is a set-back after such a long spell on the Gent sidelines.