Leeds United, Chelsea agreement in 2018 ended in cruel fashion: View | OneFootball

Jamal Blackman's career was never the same after an unfortunate injury suffered while at Elland Road

Jamal Blackman’s stint at Leeds United ended before it had really even begun, with the goalkeeper failing to even feature in a league match for the Whites before tragedy struck.

Much was anticipated of the Chelsea loanee ahead of the 2018/19 season, with the battle for the number one spot with Bailey Peacock-Farrell set to be one that would rumble on throughout the campaign.

But that situation was put into perspective during an under-23 game at Thorp Arch in the November, as a collision with Bez Lubala ended his time in West Yorkshire in an instant.

A fractured tibia put paid to the shot-stopper’s hopes of playing for over a year, and left him trying to kickstart a promising career that was dealt the cruelest of blows.

Jamal Blackman’s horrific Leeds United injury put his career on halt

Blackman had established himself as an aspiring EFL goalkeeper before his move to Elland Road, with stints at Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield United underlining his bright future in the game.

Despite not being deemed worthy of a spot in the Chelsea squad, the glovesman was making a name for himself in the lower tiers of the game, with his confidence on the ball adding an extra dimension to his game.

That was exactly what Marcelo Bielsa wanted the man between the sticks during his time at Elland Road, and the Argentinian added the loanee to provide plenty of competition for Peacock-Farrell as the season unfolded.

But after getting some minutes in the tank to be match ready for his first start the following weekend, the Lubala incident suddenly saw all his hard work and effort to get where he wanted to be destroyed in an instant, as he essentially went back to square one.

Speaking of the incident later in his career, Blackman said: “The manager had come to watch the game as it was a midweek friendly to get me ready for a game at the weekend.

"When he arrived into the medical room, we had quite an emotional chat. He told me what the injury was, he gave me a hug and said he was sorry.

"Then, then the medical staff took over, explaining exactly what damage had been done, and how I could recover."

And just like that, Blackman’s career was put on hold for over a year, but with Bielsa and Chelsea by his side, he continued to make progress on the way to recovery, before finally stepping back into competitive action 14 months later.

Jamal Blackman’s post-Leeds United career has been a mixed bag

They would have been very tentative steps that Blackman took as he walked onto the pitch at the Memorial Ground in January 2020, as Bristol Rovers offered the goalkeeper the chance to perform in the Football League once again.

Having been part of a side that had Premier League aspirations, his new surroundings would have taken some getting used to, but the custodian took little time in getting back to what he does best, with three clean sheets from his ten appearances for The Gas.

Since then, the shot-stopper has spent time at Rotherham United, LAFC in the MLS, Huddersfield Town, Exeter City and Burton Albion, although he left the latter at the end of the previous campaign.

Currently a free agent, Blackman must look back on that day at Thorp Arch and wonder what might have been had things not gone awry that day, with his future hinging on a split-second decision that changed his life forever.