A generous gesture by Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has led to Clayton-based Indian midfielder Inderjeet Aujla taking great strides towards a dream return to League football.

Warnock, who brought the first professional Indian player Baichung Bhutia into the game in this country over nine years ago at Bury, agreed to let Indy go along to train at Leeds’ Thorp Arch complex a few short weeks ago.

Indy was told he may only be watching what went on but when Mick Jones, United's’ assistant manager, shook his hand and said: “Do you want some kit?” - the lad’s face was a picture!

Youth coach Neil Redfearn, who supervised Indy’s first training session, was impressed enough to invite him straight back the following day for more and he even had a little knockabout with some first-team players before they departed for the following day’s npower Championship game at Bristol City.

Leeds went on to assess Indy in his next four games for Evo Stik outfit Frickley Athletic - but it is what has gone on since then that has really fired things up.

Interest has been shown by a Conference side, and Huddersfield Town now also want him to go along to Leeds Road for a look-see.

Indy was youth player of the year at home-town club Bradford City when he was 17 and went on to gain League experience at Chester before spells at Hinckley and more recently in Belgium, where he ended up coaching Racing, who he was playing for, Racing.

Primarily a defensive midfield man, Indy can also play at full back and says: “I came back home from being full-time in Belgium. It was a fantastic experience and really developed me as an all-round versatile player out there.

“I had a brief spell as player-manager, which was interesting. However, I was off the radar in this country after being out there for two seasons. I had to drop a level and signed for Frickley. Sometimes you have to go back to go forwards again, but then came the invitation to go to Thorp Arch."]

Redfearn said: “Indy has two good feet, good touch and fitted in straight away with the lads he was training with.”

Indy said: “It’s good to see hard work pays off. Leeds monitored my progress. At the moment I’m manufacturing a full-time environment, training every day on my own in Bradford on City’s training ground and in the gym, so it was fantastic to be training again with full-time pros on great training pitches.

“Huddersfield Town have shown interest as well and I trained for the last couple of weeks with Conference side Forest Green Rovers - an ambitious club with a very good set-up.

“I’ve been impressed and they are interested in bringing me in come the January window.

“Currently, I am unattached and available to trial at full-time clubs. I’m excitied for the new year ahead to see what it brings and I will keep setting goals and working hard to achieve my dream of one day playing in the Champions League!”