'I know how much he's worth' - Leeds United's smart transfer addition after £24.5m West Ham deal

It's hard to say no to Leeds United. Jordan Miles can tell you that. Miles had only joined Aberdeen last summer, but Leeds Live understands the club's head of recruitment was 'absolutely buzzing' to make the move to Elland Road.

Miles, who is in his early thirties, is one of the youngest figures in football operating in such a crucial role at a club of this size. However, little is widely known about the talent spotter beyond the short 51-word unveiling statement Leeds issued to announce his arrival back in February. Who better to offer the inside track than Mick McCarthy, the boyhood Leeds fan, who previously inherited Miles as his head of performance analysis at Ipswich Town in 2012.

"Jordan is very good at his job," McCarthy told Leeds Live. "Very diligent. He doesn't just watch games on a laptop - he gets out and watches them. He has got a really good eye for footballers.

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"He was excellent for us at Ipswich in every department. He sat in all our team meetings. Whether we were discussing a game, strategy, tactics or recruitment, he was involved in all of it.

"He was very well-organised and knew what he was doing. He knew what we were after and had an eye for it himself. He wasn't just led by us - he had an opinion - and we appreciated that."

As well as being McCarthy's eye in the stands - splicing match footage and passing on his observations to the former Ipswich boss and assistant Terry Connor at half-time - Miles also assisted with the Tractor Boys' recruitment. Having had 'no idea' about Miles when he took charge of Ipswich, McCarthy quickly 'realised his merits and how much he's worth'.

The Premier League soon beckoned. Miles joined West Ham United as a first-team performance analyst in 2016 before earning a promotion to head of recruitment analysis a year-and-a-half later.

Leeds Live understands Miles was heavily involved in West Ham's moves for Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal. The Czech Republic internationals, who were not necessarily household names at the time, cost West Ham a combined £24.5m from Slavia Prague and have since gone on to make 362 appearances for the club.

You can see why Miles earned the trust of former boss David Moyes. Jack Lamb-Wilson, who worked with Miles as a first-team performance analyst at West Ham, recalled how Moyes 'highlighted Jordan as someone he respected and wanted to put into a recruitment role'.

"Jordan is very level-headed and a normal down to earth guy who doesn't get carried away with his position," he told Leeds Live. "I've met a lot of people in football, having worked in the Premier League for eight years, who get a little bit carried away with their power. Jordan doesn't do that. He's built up a very good knowledge from the bottom up, really."

That knowledge will be certainly needed in what is a crucial summer window for Leeds. The Whites, obviously, did not know which league they would be playing in until the end of May, but the club prepared for both scenarios and a lot of work has been carried out in weeks since after it was confirmed that Daniel Farke's team would be consigned to another year in the Championship. Once the new season starts, in Farke's own words, everything will 'definitely be ready'.

Farke will drive the club's recruitment and have the final say once more, but the Leeds boss will again be working closely with CEO Angus Kinnear, technical director Gretar Steinsson and the influential consultant Nick Hammond, who played an important role in a chaotic window a year ago.

Miles, who has bolstered the club's recruitment department with a number of scouting appointments, has slotted into that existing structure and was among those carrying out groundwork ahead of the window opening last week. When it comes to working with Farke and Co, a former colleague, who did not wish to be named, tellingly, described Miles as a 'collaborative' operator, who can 'see how things fit together'. So what will he bring to Leeds as a recruiter?

"Jordan's knowledge was really good in terms of players out there, what's happening with their careers and contracts, how they fit into a style of play and their performances," he told Leeds Live. "He's constantly speaking to people. He's a very clued up guy.

"He had a sharp eye and was very keen to pick up talented players, that's for sure. He would speak to the correct people and take their opinions on board. He wouldn't just listen to anyone - he would get the right information about that person and double check the character.

"He had a good attention to detail and made sure he knew exactly what was happening. He was very thorough. Leeds are lucky to have him."