What Happened Next?
No2. Leeds United – Champions League Semi Finalists
In 2001 Leeds United became the first English side since Manchester United to reach the semi finals of the Champions League. Having finished in the top three of the Premiership the season before and making it to the semi finals of the UEFA Cup the season before, David O’Leary’s young side conquered great heights before being beaten in unlucky fashion by losing finalists Valencia.
A great run in the worlds top club competition saw them overcome impossible odds coming through a group containing Barcelona, Besikstas and AC Milan. They then overcame second group phase opponents Real Madrid, Anderlecht and Lazio before thrashing Spanish runners up Deportivo in the quarter finals.
Four seasons later the Yorkshire club were relegated out of the league and despite reaching the playoff finals in an attempt to get back to the top flight, Leeds currently find themselves in the third tier of the English league fighting their way out of the Coca Cola Football League. But what happened to the players who finished so close to glory that fateful season?
Nigel Martyn – The Leeds United stalwart goalkeeper found himself injured for much of the Champions League campaign but returned for the semi final when Leeds were defeated. Having been at the Yorkshire club for over ten years and still a part of the national set up, Martyn decided to see out his career at the club despite losing his regular place to Robinson and retired in 2003.
Paul Robinson – The young goalkeeper shot to fame as part of the brave Leeds team which drew 1-1 with Barcelona at Elland Road and qualified for the second group phase of the Champions League at the first attempt. At the time it was rumoured the club rejected a bid from the Spanish giants a few months later and in staying at the club Robinson eventually displaced Nigel Martyn as the side’s number one stopper. Following Leeds United’s relegation in 2003, Robinson made a 2 Million pound move to Spurs and has gone one to represent the full England senior side where he is currently the number one choice.
Danny Mills – Signed by David O’Leary from Charlton, Mills became the first choice right back in the absence of Gary Kelly during the clubs Champions League crusade. Following the clubs relegation in 2004, Leeds decided they could no longer afford to retain the services of Mills, who as an England regular requested a move back to the Premiership. He found himself at Middlesbrough on loan, helping them to win the Carling Cup before moving to Manchester City on a free transfer in 2005. Mills is still currently contracted to the Manchester club but following a series of injuries and the rise to prominence of Micah Richards, Mills has been a peripheral figure, spending the 2006-7 season at Hull City and this year returning to the Championship with Charlton.
Jacob Burns – Burns played a bit part role for United during their successful seasons and having been signed by David O’Leary to back up an extremely strong midfield, the player moved having only started six games in three years with the club. He transferred to Championship side Barnsley in 2003 where he helped them avoid relegation in two successive seasons before moving to Polish side Wisla Krakow in 2006 where he currently plays.
Stephen McPhail – McPhail came through the ranks at United under George Graham and continued to press for a first team place when O’Leary took over. He spent several seasons out on loan when the clubs downturn in fortunes began and following Leeds’ relegation in 2004, Stephen signed for Barnsley where he played two seasons. Still at the age of just twenty eight, McPhail is now a regular in the Cardiff City line up and has gone on to represent his country on no less then ten occasions.
Rio Ferdinand – Rio was always recognised as once of the most upcoming in Leeds United’s team and the defender always seemed destined for great things even before he left the club in 2002. Ferdinand joined Manchester United in a deal with over 30 Million pounds, the move made him the most expensive defender in history and has since gone on to represent England 64 times and was part of the Manchester United side which won the Premiership in 2006-7.
Ian Harte – Joining Leeds from Home Farm in the mid-1990’s Harte was a revelation under O’Leary. It is rumoured that the club turned down offers from Barcelona and AC Milan for his services after his performances against them and Harte chose to stay loyal to Leeds until he was sold to ease the clubs financial crisis in 2004. Moving from Yorkshire the left back transferred to Levante of the Spanish Primera Liga but after an unhappy few seasons in Spain he was released at the end of the 2006-7 season when he chose to rejoin Sunderland and his old national team mate Roy Keane.
Dominic Matteo – Another popular member of the David O’Leary squad, Matteo made his debut in 2000 against AC Milan before he became a cult figure by scoring in the return match with the Italian giants in only his fourth appearance. Matteo suffered with injuries over the next few years but when club mate Rio Ferdinand left to join Manchester United became the club captain. Following Leeds’ relegation, Matteo signed for Blackburn Rovers before signing for Stoke City on a two year deal in 2007.
Eirike Bake – The Norwegian signed by O’Leary was a mainstay in the Leeds United team until a series of injuries affected his form in 2002. He never quite recovered from a series of bad luck stories but still played a bit part role in the team until the clubs relegation. Suffering yet more injury problems, the midfielder was loaned out to Aston Villa until Leeds recalled him, saying they would only settle for a permanent transfer. In 2006 the club announced that due to his 23,000 a week wages and 4,000 appearance fee, Leeds could no longer afford to pay the player and sought to terminate his contract. He was however sold to SK Brann in 2006 and despite yet more injuries was awarded with a 2 year contract extension late in 2007 which will see him play out his final years at the club.
Olivier Dacourt – Dacourt was signed by O’Leary to bring some International experience into the club. Breaking into the French National squad with some impressive performances as part of the successful Leeds side Dacourt progression was hampered only by injury. A failure to be in the World Cup squad of his country in 2002 meant Dacourt was determined to prove himself but with Leeds performing poorly he left the club in 2003 to join Roma. A relatively successful stint in Rome led to interest from Inter Milan whom Dacourt signed for in 2006. He played a role as part of the team which one back to back Championships but was injured at the end of 2007 and is expected to miss the rest of the season with a damaged cruciate knee ligament.
David Batty – Choosing to rejoin the club where he started his career Batty provided vital experiences to a youthful Leeds United team. He was an ever present during the Champions League campaign but when David O’Leary was sacked in 2002 he found himself out of favour with the clubs subsequent managers. He was finally released in 2004 and chose that point to retire from the game.
Harry Kewell – Kewell was recognised as one of Leeds’ brightest stars in the clubs foray into Europe and soon attracted attention from the top clubs all over the world. As the club began to suffer financial difficulties, Kewell’s form began to dip and a period of injuries saw him miss the 2001-02 season. The Australian winger returned in 2002-3 in a more forward position alongside Mark Viduka and together the fellow countrymen helped save the team from relegation. Having sold many of their best players however, it wasn’t long before Kewell followed many of the high value players out of the door. He controversially moved to Liverpool in 2003, lashing out at the clubs medial staff for worsening his injuries before he departed. In 2004-5 Kewell became the first Aussie to lift the Champions League, though he was replaced at the end of the first half after suffering an injury. Stating his desire to return to the team, Kewell was part of the FA Cup winning side in 2006 but was again brought off in the final with injury. Injury hampered his start to the 2007-8 season and it is expected that they player may leave Anfield unless he can prove that he can stay fit for an extended period of time.
Mark Viduka – After the season of successes, Viduka’s goals became the main reasons Leeds avoided relegation in the years following. In 2002-3 he netted 22 times and prevented the club from going down with a winning goal against Arsenal on the final day of the season. With financial troubles haunting the club, Viduka followed many of the top stars out of the club when they were relegated in 2003, joining Middlesbrough. The Australian’s start at ‘Boro was hampered by injuries but was in sensational form at the club made the UEFA Cup final. Following another 19 goals the next season, Viduka joined Newcastle United after failing to sign a new contract with their North East rivals and in doing so, he became Sam Allardyce’s first signing.
Alan Smith – After impressive performances for Leeds in both attack and midfielder, Smith made his England debut in 2002 and despite not being selected for the World Cup squad was named Supporters Player of the Season in both 2003 and 2004 at Leeds. Despite being part of the team which was relegated from the Premiership, Smith remained a cult hero at Leeds for his willingness and tireless efforts to save the club. In May 2004 though Smith left his hometown club to join Manchester United to the anger of the clubs supporters. Injury hampered the beginnings of his career at old Trafford and with the brilliance of both Wayne Rooney and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Smith often found himself as a central midfielder. A horrendous injury in an FA Cup tie with Liverpool in 2006 caused Smith to miss much of the next two seasons and in 2007 he transferred to Newcastle United.
Jonathon Woodgate – Despite being convicted of affray in 2001, Woodgate became a fans favourite at Leeds United until the club encountered financial difficulties at the end of 2002. He was eventually sold to Newcastle in January but never managed to maintain an injury free run in the team, this did not stop interest in his availability though as just 18 months after signing for the club, Woodgate moved to Real Madrid. Woodgate did not make any appearances for Madrid in his first season and when he did appear for the first team his appearances was marred by an own goal and a red card. Returning from a series of injury problems, Woodgate soon became a first team regular but injury again cost him a place in the 2006 World Cup squad of England. At the start of the new season Woodgate returned to the Premiership on loan with Middlesbrough before signing a permanent deal with the club in 2007.
Gary Kelly – The longest serving player in the Leeds team at the time, Kelly was a regular in the Leeds team throughout the Champions League campaign and as a result of his longevity in the Leeds ranks was awarded a testimonial in 2000. In 2006 he became the 10th player ever to make more than 500 appearances for the club before deciding to leave the game at the end of the season as his contract was expiring.
Lee Bowyer – After a huge and influential part in Leeds’ successes in the 00-01 season, Bowyer was voted player of the season by the clubs supporters. It was, however, to be the beginning of a downward spiral in Bowyer’s career as just six months later he found himself on trial for causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray alongside team mate Jonathon Woodgate. Although he was cleared of all charges, the club fined Bowyer a record four weeks wages, taking exception to this Bowyer was placed on the transfer list and although removed from it found himself back on his way out of Leeds in 2002 when he turned down a five year contract. Lee eventually left Leeds and signed for West Ham in 2003. Sadly for the midfielder he was hampered by injury whilst in the capital and after being released due to the clubs relegation at the end of the season, Bowyer made the move North to Newcastle. Trouble seemed to follow him to Tyneside though and he was fined six weeks wages after an on pitch fight with Kieran Dyer during a match with Aston Villa. Bowyer eventually ended his unhappy spell in Newcastle with a return to West Ham whom he re-signed for in June 2006.
Lucas Radebe – One of the players who played a bit part role in the Champions League campaign, Radebe was an extremely popular member of the squad with the fans but had his career ravaged by injury in the year 2000. Sustaining knee and ankle problems which kept him out of the game for around two years Radebe decided to call a permanent end to his playing career in 2005.
Alan Maybury – The defender spent much of Champions League campaign on the bench but occasionally deputised for Gary Kelly. In a bid to gain first team football and earn a call up to the International squad, Maybury had a loan spells at Crewe and Reading before transferring to Hearts in 2001 where he became a club regular. Making over one hundred appearances and becoming a regular in the Republic of Ireland setup, Maybury currently plays for Leiecester City in the Championship but is expected to leave the club after being transfer listed by Martin Allen.
Jason Wilcox – Wilcox made a vital part in the clubs run to the semi finals playing in almost every game and providing vital assists for the strike force. His continued excellence on the wing earned him a continuation of his England career when he joined from Blackburn. Following over 100 appearances for Leeds, Wilcox left for Leicester where he made an excellent start to his career before spending over a year sidelined with injury. In 2005 he spent a short loan spell at Blackpool before joining on a permanent basis. When he was released at the end of the 2006 season Wilcox decided that he would bring an end to his career at the age of 34.
Manager: David O’Leary – Taking over from George Graham when he decided to join Spurs, O’Leary lead a young and talented Leeds side to two consecutive top three seasons and an appearance in both the Champions League and UEFA Cup semi finals. Despite a good start the season after their European heroics an unfortunate turn of events led to O’Leary’s sacking including the writing of an autobiography titled ‘Leeds United on Trial’. Many saw the book as cashing in on the clubs troubles and after spending over 100 Million pounds on players with no trophy rewards, O’Leary was sacked in June 2002 and replaced by Terry Venebles.
The Irishman returned to the Premiership with Aston Villa in 2004 immediately began to stamp his mark on the club. Villa finished a solid 10th in their first full campaign under O’Leary but the supporters were less than pleased with his performances due to the signing of several players whose Premiership careers were short lived. The following season O’Leary brought in Milan Baros and Kevin Phillips in a bid to bring winning football back to Villa Park but a poor start to the season culminated in a 16th place finish. The end to O’Leary’s Villa career was again due to off the field incidents with the manager believed to have been insulting the chairman by calling for more funds to be released in a bid to sign players. In July 2006 his contract was terminated by Doug Ellis and he is yet to return to management.
A great run in the worlds top club competition saw them overcome impossible odds coming through a group containing Barcelona, Besikstas and AC Milan. They then overcame second group phase opponents Real Madrid, Anderlecht and Lazio before thrashing Spanish runners up Deportivo in the quarter finals.
Four seasons later the Yorkshire club were relegated out of the league and despite reaching the playoff finals in an attempt to get back to the top flight, Leeds currently find themselves in the third tier of the English league fighting their way out of the Coca Cola Football League. But what happened to the players who finished so close to glory that fateful season?
Nigel Martyn – The Leeds United stalwart goalkeeper found himself injured for much of the Champions League campaign but returned for the semi final when Leeds were defeated. Having been at the Yorkshire club for over ten years and still a part of the national set up, Martyn decided to see out his career at the club despite losing his regular place to Robinson and retired in 2003.
Paul Robinson – The young goalkeeper shot to fame as part of the brave Leeds team which drew 1-1 with Barcelona at Elland Road and qualified for the second group phase of the Champions League at the first attempt. At the time it was rumoured the club rejected a bid from the Spanish giants a few months later and in staying at the club Robinson eventually displaced Nigel Martyn as the side’s number one stopper. Following Leeds United’s relegation in 2003, Robinson made a 2 Million pound move to Spurs and has gone one to represent the full England senior side where he is currently the number one choice.
Danny Mills – Signed by David O’Leary from Charlton, Mills became the first choice right back in the absence of Gary Kelly during the clubs Champions League crusade. Following the clubs relegation in 2004, Leeds decided they could no longer afford to retain the services of Mills, who as an England regular requested a move back to the Premiership. He found himself at Middlesbrough on loan, helping them to win the Carling Cup before moving to Manchester City on a free transfer in 2005. Mills is still currently contracted to the Manchester club but following a series of injuries and the rise to prominence of Micah Richards, Mills has been a peripheral figure, spending the 2006-7 season at Hull City and this year returning to the Championship with Charlton.
Jacob Burns – Burns played a bit part role for United during their successful seasons and having been signed by David O’Leary to back up an extremely strong midfield, the player moved having only started six games in three years with the club. He transferred to Championship side Barnsley in 2003 where he helped them avoid relegation in two successive seasons before moving to Polish side Wisla Krakow in 2006 where he currently plays.
Stephen McPhail – McPhail came through the ranks at United under George Graham and continued to press for a first team place when O’Leary took over. He spent several seasons out on loan when the clubs downturn in fortunes began and following Leeds’ relegation in 2004, Stephen signed for Barnsley where he played two seasons. Still at the age of just twenty eight, McPhail is now a regular in the Cardiff City line up and has gone on to represent his country on no less then ten occasions.
Rio Ferdinand – Rio was always recognised as once of the most upcoming in Leeds United’s team and the defender always seemed destined for great things even before he left the club in 2002. Ferdinand joined Manchester United in a deal with over 30 Million pounds, the move made him the most expensive defender in history and has since gone on to represent England 64 times and was part of the Manchester United side which won the Premiership in 2006-7.
Ian Harte – Joining Leeds from Home Farm in the mid-1990’s Harte was a revelation under O’Leary. It is rumoured that the club turned down offers from Barcelona and AC Milan for his services after his performances against them and Harte chose to stay loyal to Leeds until he was sold to ease the clubs financial crisis in 2004. Moving from Yorkshire the left back transferred to Levante of the Spanish Primera Liga but after an unhappy few seasons in Spain he was released at the end of the 2006-7 season when he chose to rejoin Sunderland and his old national team mate Roy Keane.
Dominic Matteo – Another popular member of the David O’Leary squad, Matteo made his debut in 2000 against AC Milan before he became a cult figure by scoring in the return match with the Italian giants in only his fourth appearance. Matteo suffered with injuries over the next few years but when club mate Rio Ferdinand left to join Manchester United became the club captain. Following Leeds’ relegation, Matteo signed for Blackburn Rovers before signing for Stoke City on a two year deal in 2007.
Eirike Bake – The Norwegian signed by O’Leary was a mainstay in the Leeds United team until a series of injuries affected his form in 2002. He never quite recovered from a series of bad luck stories but still played a bit part role in the team until the clubs relegation. Suffering yet more injury problems, the midfielder was loaned out to Aston Villa until Leeds recalled him, saying they would only settle for a permanent transfer. In 2006 the club announced that due to his 23,000 a week wages and 4,000 appearance fee, Leeds could no longer afford to pay the player and sought to terminate his contract. He was however sold to SK Brann in 2006 and despite yet more injuries was awarded with a 2 year contract extension late in 2007 which will see him play out his final years at the club.
Olivier Dacourt – Dacourt was signed by O’Leary to bring some International experience into the club. Breaking into the French National squad with some impressive performances as part of the successful Leeds side Dacourt progression was hampered only by injury. A failure to be in the World Cup squad of his country in 2002 meant Dacourt was determined to prove himself but with Leeds performing poorly he left the club in 2003 to join Roma. A relatively successful stint in Rome led to interest from Inter Milan whom Dacourt signed for in 2006. He played a role as part of the team which one back to back Championships but was injured at the end of 2007 and is expected to miss the rest of the season with a damaged cruciate knee ligament.
David Batty – Choosing to rejoin the club where he started his career Batty provided vital experiences to a youthful Leeds United team. He was an ever present during the Champions League campaign but when David O’Leary was sacked in 2002 he found himself out of favour with the clubs subsequent managers. He was finally released in 2004 and chose that point to retire from the game.
Harry Kewell – Kewell was recognised as one of Leeds’ brightest stars in the clubs foray into Europe and soon attracted attention from the top clubs all over the world. As the club began to suffer financial difficulties, Kewell’s form began to dip and a period of injuries saw him miss the 2001-02 season. The Australian winger returned in 2002-3 in a more forward position alongside Mark Viduka and together the fellow countrymen helped save the team from relegation. Having sold many of their best players however, it wasn’t long before Kewell followed many of the high value players out of the door. He controversially moved to Liverpool in 2003, lashing out at the clubs medial staff for worsening his injuries before he departed. In 2004-5 Kewell became the first Aussie to lift the Champions League, though he was replaced at the end of the first half after suffering an injury. Stating his desire to return to the team, Kewell was part of the FA Cup winning side in 2006 but was again brought off in the final with injury. Injury hampered his start to the 2007-8 season and it is expected that they player may leave Anfield unless he can prove that he can stay fit for an extended period of time.
Mark Viduka – After the season of successes, Viduka’s goals became the main reasons Leeds avoided relegation in the years following. In 2002-3 he netted 22 times and prevented the club from going down with a winning goal against Arsenal on the final day of the season. With financial troubles haunting the club, Viduka followed many of the top stars out of the club when they were relegated in 2003, joining Middlesbrough. The Australian’s start at ‘Boro was hampered by injuries but was in sensational form at the club made the UEFA Cup final. Following another 19 goals the next season, Viduka joined Newcastle United after failing to sign a new contract with their North East rivals and in doing so, he became Sam Allardyce’s first signing.
Alan Smith – After impressive performances for Leeds in both attack and midfielder, Smith made his England debut in 2002 and despite not being selected for the World Cup squad was named Supporters Player of the Season in both 2003 and 2004 at Leeds. Despite being part of the team which was relegated from the Premiership, Smith remained a cult hero at Leeds for his willingness and tireless efforts to save the club. In May 2004 though Smith left his hometown club to join Manchester United to the anger of the clubs supporters. Injury hampered the beginnings of his career at old Trafford and with the brilliance of both Wayne Rooney and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Smith often found himself as a central midfielder. A horrendous injury in an FA Cup tie with Liverpool in 2006 caused Smith to miss much of the next two seasons and in 2007 he transferred to Newcastle United.
Jonathon Woodgate – Despite being convicted of affray in 2001, Woodgate became a fans favourite at Leeds United until the club encountered financial difficulties at the end of 2002. He was eventually sold to Newcastle in January but never managed to maintain an injury free run in the team, this did not stop interest in his availability though as just 18 months after signing for the club, Woodgate moved to Real Madrid. Woodgate did not make any appearances for Madrid in his first season and when he did appear for the first team his appearances was marred by an own goal and a red card. Returning from a series of injury problems, Woodgate soon became a first team regular but injury again cost him a place in the 2006 World Cup squad of England. At the start of the new season Woodgate returned to the Premiership on loan with Middlesbrough before signing a permanent deal with the club in 2007.
Gary Kelly – The longest serving player in the Leeds team at the time, Kelly was a regular in the Leeds team throughout the Champions League campaign and as a result of his longevity in the Leeds ranks was awarded a testimonial in 2000. In 2006 he became the 10th player ever to make more than 500 appearances for the club before deciding to leave the game at the end of the season as his contract was expiring.
Lee Bowyer – After a huge and influential part in Leeds’ successes in the 00-01 season, Bowyer was voted player of the season by the clubs supporters. It was, however, to be the beginning of a downward spiral in Bowyer’s career as just six months later he found himself on trial for causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray alongside team mate Jonathon Woodgate. Although he was cleared of all charges, the club fined Bowyer a record four weeks wages, taking exception to this Bowyer was placed on the transfer list and although removed from it found himself back on his way out of Leeds in 2002 when he turned down a five year contract. Lee eventually left Leeds and signed for West Ham in 2003. Sadly for the midfielder he was hampered by injury whilst in the capital and after being released due to the clubs relegation at the end of the season, Bowyer made the move North to Newcastle. Trouble seemed to follow him to Tyneside though and he was fined six weeks wages after an on pitch fight with Kieran Dyer during a match with Aston Villa. Bowyer eventually ended his unhappy spell in Newcastle with a return to West Ham whom he re-signed for in June 2006.
Lucas Radebe – One of the players who played a bit part role in the Champions League campaign, Radebe was an extremely popular member of the squad with the fans but had his career ravaged by injury in the year 2000. Sustaining knee and ankle problems which kept him out of the game for around two years Radebe decided to call a permanent end to his playing career in 2005.
Alan Maybury – The defender spent much of Champions League campaign on the bench but occasionally deputised for Gary Kelly. In a bid to gain first team football and earn a call up to the International squad, Maybury had a loan spells at Crewe and Reading before transferring to Hearts in 2001 where he became a club regular. Making over one hundred appearances and becoming a regular in the Republic of Ireland setup, Maybury currently plays for Leiecester City in the Championship but is expected to leave the club after being transfer listed by Martin Allen.
Jason Wilcox – Wilcox made a vital part in the clubs run to the semi finals playing in almost every game and providing vital assists for the strike force. His continued excellence on the wing earned him a continuation of his England career when he joined from Blackburn. Following over 100 appearances for Leeds, Wilcox left for Leicester where he made an excellent start to his career before spending over a year sidelined with injury. In 2005 he spent a short loan spell at Blackpool before joining on a permanent basis. When he was released at the end of the 2006 season Wilcox decided that he would bring an end to his career at the age of 34.
Manager: David O’Leary – Taking over from George Graham when he decided to join Spurs, O’Leary lead a young and talented Leeds side to two consecutive top three seasons and an appearance in both the Champions League and UEFA Cup semi finals. Despite a good start the season after their European heroics an unfortunate turn of events led to O’Leary’s sacking including the writing of an autobiography titled ‘Leeds United on Trial’. Many saw the book as cashing in on the clubs troubles and after spending over 100 Million pounds on players with no trophy rewards, O’Leary was sacked in June 2002 and replaced by Terry Venebles.
The Irishman returned to the Premiership with Aston Villa in 2004 immediately began to stamp his mark on the club. Villa finished a solid 10th in their first full campaign under O’Leary but the supporters were less than pleased with his performances due to the signing of several players whose Premiership careers were short lived. The following season O’Leary brought in Milan Baros and Kevin Phillips in a bid to bring winning football back to Villa Park but a poor start to the season culminated in a 16th place finish. The end to O’Leary’s Villa career was again due to off the field incidents with the manager believed to have been insulting the chairman by calling for more funds to be released in a bid to sign players. In July 2006 his contract was terminated by Doug Ellis and he is yet to return to management.