Undercover Leeds fan

Hady Ghandour: “There’s no Leeds without worry, you know?”

Written by: Rob Conlon
Artwork by: Eamonn Dalton
Hady Ghandour, Charlton and Lebanon footballer, and Leeds fan

Watching Leeds United swagger to a 4-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the final match of the promotion season put lifelong supporter Hady Ghandour in an uncomfortable position. A week earlier, Ghandour had to be talked out of driving from London to Leeds to join the celebrations outside Elland Road by his dad. Now Leeds were enjoying the release of tension by relegating Charlton, the club he had already agreed to sign with for the following season.

Artwork by Eamonn Dalton

When I first interviewed Ghandour for The Square Ball, in October 2018, he was on the fringes of the first team at non-league Tooting and Mitcham and progressing through the Lebanon national team’s age groups. Charlton were well aware of his ability, previously taking the striker on trial, but Ghandour wanted to focus on his studies and earn a place at university. Fast forward three years and he is now a fully-fledged professional footballer and senior international, combining his training with studying at City, University of London — but he has Leeds to blame for Charlton playing in League One rather than the Championship.

“I was watching it with my dad on LUTV and we didn’t know what to do,” Ghandour says. “Ben White scored that cracker and, honestly, Leeds were unreal that day. They were so good. To be honest, I wouldn’t have minded Charlton to win because we’d won the league already. Barnsley beat Brentford in the last minute which is what sent Charlton down.”

Ghandour joined Charlton to initially play in their Under-23s but briefly worked with first-team manager Lee Bowyer when making his debut in an EFL trophy tie against Leyton Orient. “I’m not the biggest striker, so he told me, ‘You’re not going to score by fighting the defenders, you have to be clever with your movement.’ We won that game 3-1. I did well, played the whole game, and he asked me to train with the first team for two or three sessions afterwards. A month after that game, I got told that me and two or three other players were going to train with the first team during the Christmas period and hopefully longer. But that was when there was the Kent variant with Covid, and the first-team medical staff didn’t want U23s players to mix with the first-team players because we had about seven Covid cases in the U23s’ changing room. Even though I’d had a negative PCR test, that was the end of my involvement under Bowyer.

“When he joined in with training, he’s still got the touch. It was a bit surreal, because my dad used to watch him playing for Leeds in the Champions League. I never mentioned I was a Leeds fan though, I was a bit scared!”

That’s not the case with Jason Pearce, the Charlton captain and former Leeds defender. “I always speak to Pearcey about Leeds. We get along very well. He’s a great guy, a great captain. He always helps me if I’ve got any issues and gives me advice, because he was in my position at one point so he knows what to do. During his period at Leeds, we weren’t great, but I remember random games. We lost a game at Barnsley under Neil Warnock, I was in the away end with my dad and there were about 7,000 fans just swearing at the players — I ask him about games like that! He told me he’s on the Leeds United captain’s board, that’s a big honour.”

Has Ghandour ever asked Pearce about the time he briefly filled in at left wing-back? “Pearcey at left wing-back?!” he laughs. “I cannot imagine that!”

This season, the 21-year-old has continued progressing, appearing in a League Cup tie against Wimbledon and travelling on a number of occasions with Charlton’s first team for League One fixtures. He made the bench against Sheffield Wednesday but was an unused substitute — “I was desperate to get on and score against Wednesday” — and in September he made his senior international debut for Lebanon in a World Cup qualifier in South Korea. Born and raised in London, Ghandour qualifies for Lebanon through his dad, who moved to England to escape the country’s civil war.

“I was a bit shocked to be called up,” he says. “I’d set myself a target of playing for the senior side by the time I was 24 or 25. It was a very proud moment for me and my family. To travel the world and represent my country is the biggest honour.”

Having now returned to Charlton, Ghandour is expecting to move on loan to a National League side until the Football League transfer window reopens in January. Desperate to play first-team football, he joined the Addicks with almost 50 appearances at Tooting and Mitcham to his name and misses the edge U23s football lacks, whether that be the physicality of playing against grown men or the mental challenge of dealing with a goal drought.

“I felt like I was a boy and it turned me into a man. Don’t get me wrong, the technical ability in the U23s is much better, but I was playing in front of a couple of hundred fans who turn up, pay their money and basically pay your wages. You want to do well for them and you want to win. The U23s is a development league; you’re basically playing just to play. Unless it’s a cup final there’s not really that hurt if you lose, whereas in a first team you learn that everything is about winning. The main difference is you learn how to manage a game from more experienced players. Things like if you’re winning 2-1 away from home and are under the cosh, earning little fouls like the Luke Ayling flop!”

We’re speaking over Zoom. Behind Ghandour is a signed Leeds shirt with ‘Byram 25’ printed on the back, framed on his wall, just above a Cesc Fabregas Barcelona shirt. He shows me a space on the wall opposite, where his Lebanon shirt will go once the qualification phase is over, before getting out Leeds’ home and away shirts from the current season — even though he’s underwhelmed by Adidas’ designs so far. He no longer gets many opportunities to watch Leeds in person, but did manage to get a ticket for the trip to Stamford Bridge last season, sitting with his friend, a Chelsea season ticket holder, and the home fans. His cover was blown after two minutes, when Patrick Bamford scored and Ghandour jumped up and started running down the aisle. Realising his faux pas, he pretended he needed the toilet, where he sent his friends a Snapchat of him celebrating in safety. “The Chelsea supporters defo knew I was a Leeds fan! But they hammered us that day.”

Ghandour may not have been brought up in Leeds, but that hasn’t stopped him perfecting the spirit of pessimism we specialise in, concerned about the slow start to the current season. “I trust the players and Bielsa, but there’s no Leeds without worry, you know?”

So, in case Victor Orta is reading, if things go well at Charlton, could Ghandour cut it under Bielsa?

“I think I’d love it. I was telling my dad, I’m a fit guy and have worked on my fitness for a long time, but I was fucked after some sessions at Charlton in pre-season. Imagine what it’s like under Bielsa, I think I’d vomit. But at the same time I’d do anything under him. I wouldn’t say a word to him. I’d let him speak, tell me what to do and then just work on it. I’d just love to train and play under him. It’s a dream, honestly.” ◉

(Every magazine online, every podcast ad-free. Click here to find out how to support us with TSB+)

DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM TSB

Pick your emails:
    phil_hay_podcast_2023_thumbnail
    Eight To Go
    tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
    Poor Dan James
    tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
    If you wanna be the best
    A photograph of Sarah Danby walking out of the tunnel for Leeds United Women with two mascots either side of her
    Chicken and egg
    tsb_guide_2023_web_thumbnail
    Elephant Stampede
    tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
    Do you recall?
    THE_MEMBERS_SHOW_38
    TSB
    Futebol
    members_show_2023_web_thumbnail
    TSB
    Barmby
    tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
    Ooh I wanna take ya
    240318_COC_5TH_ROUND
    TSB
    Knockout
    members_show_2023_web_thumbnail
    TSB
    Limewire
    PROP_240319
    Wind It In
    The Square Ball