Simon Grayson has no plans to offer Lucas Radebe a place on Leeds’ coaching staff.

Former Elland Road captain and South African international Radebe indicated during the World Cup that he may be returning to United in a coaching capacity.

But manager Grayson said: “Nobody has spoken to me about that. Whether there are plans for him to come back in some sort of ambassadorial role or working with the younger ones, I don’t know, but it hasn’t been mentioned to me at first-team level.

“We are fortunate that we have one of the best backroom staffs number-wise, so I am not looking to bring in anybody else.”

Meanwhile, Grayson has told winger Max Gradel to learn from the incident which will cause him to sit out the first four matches of the new season.

Gradel, who reported back for pre-season training on Thursday with the rest of the squad, was handed a four-match ban by the Football Association – an automatic three games for his dismissal against Bristol Rovers in the final game of last season and one game for initially refusing to leave the pitch.

Grayson said: “Max’s ban could have been longer because of the amount of time it took him to get off the pitch. He could still have been there if the players hadn’t pulled him off the pitch.

“He is disappointed by what happened because it could have had a major influence on how our season finished. He is going to suffer by having the four-game ban, he has been fined by the club and he knows he let himself down as well as me, his team-mates and the fans.

“With 11 men on the pitch, I feel we would have won the game comfortably. But when you make mistakes you have to learn from them and I would like to think he has learned from that experience. Other players should learn from it as well.”

Grayson is taking his squad to Slovakia for a training camp and two friendly matches and he has told the players that places are up for grabs.

He said: “I have told them they all start with a clean slate. We may play different systems and different personnel in the pre-season games to try and get the right team for the first few games of the season and hopefully longer than that.

“The players are aware of that and it is the ones who work hard, show quality and a really good attitude who will find themselves in the team.”

Long-term casualties Patrick Kisnorbo and former Bradford loanee Ben Parker are progressing well.

Grayson said: “Ben is going to be back around September or October time and Paddy in December or January. You can’t rush them back with the injuries they’ve had.”