Some facts on our new fella up front, Mike Grella.

I've done a bit of digging around on the net to find out a bit more about our new striker Mike Grella, who joined Leeds on an 18month deal last Monday following a successful trial spell.

According to his profile at Duke Sports https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=158592 Mike was born in Glen Cove, NY on 23rd January 1987 making him 22. He is the son of Mike and Grace Grella and he has a brother called Frank.

Maybe his Mum and Dad were closet Leeds fans in the 1970's? eg Mike (O'Grady or even Mick Bates/Jones) and Frank Gray! As their fellow countrymen were glued to thsat three-hour padded forward-pass Rugby nonsense and "Silly Boys Rounders" (Del Trotter circa 1989) maybe Mom and Pops followed the whites?

He emerged as a promising youth-talent and in 2003 and 2004 was named something called Parade Magazine's High School all American Player of the Year (Parade Magazine incidentally has a circulation of 33 million, I believe it is a Sunday supplement type of magazine read by an estimated 76 million Yanks and you can visit their website if you must at http://www.parade.com/

Unfortunately Mike's first clubs were associated with the word Red or Reds (so maybe Gary Edwards can do a few painting jobs for him when he settles in a player in West Yorkshire!). In 2004, he was playing for the Glen Cove Big Red and was named NSCAA player of the year for that season. He also turned out for a mob called Albertson RED storm, leading their academy to the 2004 USYSA title.

He then played "soccer" for Duke University and in 2008 won the coveted status of being named in something called the first team all American.

During collegiate off-season (whatever that is!), he played for the Long Island Rough Raiders in Division Four of the USL Premier Development League, scoring 10 goals in 17 games. His next stop in 2008 was Cary Railhawks, scoring twice in 3 games.

The Major League Soccer Superdraft is where professional MLS teams "pick" promising players from college soccer, Grella appeared in the 3rd draft, 34th pick overall and was selected by Toronto FC (who also play in red). But he snubbed Canada and headed over to England, which is probably colder and more snowier at this moment in time.

Or maybe he did not fancy life under Toronto FC's coach, who is a certain John "Concrete" Carver, the hapless, one-time caretaker manager of Leeds United! 

Mike holds both American and Italian passports. He has played for the USA at U18 and U20 levels.

I'm struggling to think of any other American's, bar Eddie Lewis of course, who have wore the white-shirt! A very warm Yorkshire welcome awaits Mike

Photo: Action Images via Reuters