The striker will confront his former club in Yorkshire this weekend, six weeks after a frustratingly brief spell with Leeds was ended by his transfer to Gresty Road, and Elding hopes to impress a home crowd who saw him play on only seven occasions while he was part of Gary McAllister's squad.

Elding made a meagre total of nine appearances for Leeds after his transfer from Stockport County in January – seven of those at Elland Road – and he was informed at the end of last season that Leeds would listen to offers for him.

A protracted move to Crewe was finally completed at the end of July, earning Leeds a six-figure sum believed to be worth around £150,000, and Elding parted company with United just six months into a two-and-a-half year contract.

The 26-year-old forward had no prospect of featuring in McAllister's first team this time round, but he has already scored three goals this season and believes he will finish the 2008-09 term with 20 to his name.

Elding said: "It'll be good to see a few of the Leeds players on Saturday and I'll shake Gary's hand because I'm not bitter about what happened to me.

"Even though I didn't feel I got a proper chance at Leeds, that's the way football works and I'm big enough to accept his decision.

"Leeds saying they'd listen to offers was another way of saying I wasn't going to have a chance of playing, so moving on was the sensible thing to do.

"It didn't damage my belief and I'm confident I'll get 20 goals this season. I'm confident that if I'd been given the chance I'd have scored 20 goals for Leeds this season, and I'd love to score the winning goal on Saturday.

"The biggest disappointment for me was the fact that I played so few games in front of the Elland Road crowd, but I'm still very grateful for the fact that Leeds signed me in the first place.

"What I didn't want to do was sit tight, take my money and walk about saying I was a Leeds United player when it was obvious I wasn't going to play. That's how you become bitter and waste your career.

"I still feel it was the wrong decision to sell me, but then I would say that. It was Gary's decision and I'm sure he'd stick by it."

United paid an undisclosed sum to Stockport for Elding's services on the final day of the winter transfer window, but the deal may cost them an additional sum after the club pleaded guilty to a Football Association charge alleging an unlicensed agent was used to complete his move from Edgeley Park.

The charge was brought against Leeds last week and relates to the involvement of Lorenzo Paolo – an unregistered agent who was representing Elding at the time – in the transfer negotiations.

United yesterday admitted breaching the FA's strict rules on the use of agents and have requested a personal hearing.

Leeds have confirmed that no payment was made to Paolo during or after Elding's transfer from Stockport, and the striker is no longer represented by him. The charge does not relate to Elding's move to Crewe.

A statement issued by Leeds read: "The club has requested a personal hearing and no further comment will be made, other than to reiterate the fact that no payment has been made or is alleged to have been made to the agent involved."