David Prutton has given his verdict on Pablo Hernandez's exit from Leeds United to the Yorkshire Evening Post. 

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The Spaniard is leaving Elland Road after a successful five years at the club despite having another year to run on his contract after a difficult campaign. 

Despite playing a crucial role in helping get Leeds back into the Premier League, the 36-year-old was only handed 417 minutes of action and was reported to have angered manager Marcelo Bielsa back in November.  

At the time, La Vanguardia claimed Bielsa was furious with Hernandez for throwing his black armband down on the floor after being substituted against Leicester City. 

What did David Prutton say? 

Writing a column for the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Sky Sports pundit put Hernandez's lack of action down to an evolution within the squad, rather than any big problems behind the scenes. 

"This is a group of players that have been thoroughly worked and worked on and Pablo has been a massive part of that," he wrote. 

"But, when you do get to a certain stage in your career as a footballer, then time does start to toll.

"I don’t think that has been a massive issue with Pablo.

"It’s just that the energy, the enthusiasm and the intensity of the team means that only the very fittest at their very peak look like they might survive and he has been a huge part of that."

How many assists did Hernandez record for Leeds? 

Across 175 games for Leeds United, the former Spanish international scored 36 times and registered 41 assists for the club. 

Indeed, in the promotion-winning campaign of 2019-20, Hernandez was absolutely crucial. Nine goals and nine assists accounted for him being directly responsible for 23% of the club's overall total of 77 league goals, as well as making the most key passes per game (2.3, via WhoScored) in the squad. 

Still, at 36, the idea of him leading the attack at Premier League level didn't seem likely and, whether or not he had issues with Bielsa, the team have developed. 

Indeed, summer signing Raphinha now leads the way on the creative front, registering 2.1 key passes per game. 

Sadly, time looks to have caught up with Hernandez, who leaves Leeds as a hero. A hugely popular figure amongst the club's support, he will live long in the memory. 

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