It has been so long since Leeds United were a top-flight club that the rebranding of the competition from the Premiership to Premier League happened three years after their relegation in 2004.
For much of the past 16 years, Leeds United have been a basket-case of a club; there have been play-off heartaches, relegation to League One, 15 permanent managers, eccentric owners and even an Amazon documentary.
At long, long last, though, they have finally got the formula right. A determined squad, moulded in Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa’s image, pieced together by Spanish Sporting Director Victor Orta and financially backed by Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani, are back in the big time.
There will be parties in households across the city now that promotion has been accomplished, but those who have masterminded Leeds’ return will soon begin plotting out their survival plan in the Premier League.
Leeds will hope to be more Sheffield United than Aston Villa or Norwich City next season and although fresh recruits are required, they have a strong nucleus of players who can make the step-up.
Luke Ayling
Luke Ayling was a player who split the Leeds fanbase pre-Bielsa but he is universally adored these days due to his rampaging runs from right-back and commitment to the cause.
Signed for just a quarter of a million pounds from Bristol City in 2016, Ayling has exceeded all expectations in Yorkshire and become a significant attacking force this term, scoring four times and creating 28 chances.
“If and when he graces the Premier League, he’ll be fine,” his former youth coach at Arsenal Neil Banfield told the Athletic in March, “partly because of his character but partly because he’s a bloody good footballer.”
Kalvin Phillips
Bielsa’s most successful pet project at Elland Road has been to convert Kalvin Phillips from an inconsistent headless chicken into the most complete midfielder in the Championship.
The 24-year-old ranks in the top five of Leeds’ squad for interceptions, tackles, passes completed, chances created and aerial duels won, which highlights his influence.
Phillips’ development in two years working under Bielsa has seen him touted for a potential England call-up and he could perhaps benefit from the one-year delay to Euro 2020.
Pablo Hernandez
It was fitting that of all the Leeds players to score the club’s most important goal since relegation, it was veteran playmaker Pablo Hernandez who did it, during last Saturday’s 1-0 win over Swansea.
Hernandez was a sprightly winger during his younger years and deemed talented enough to earn four senior caps for Spain during the 2009-10 season which culminated in La Roja winning the World Cup.
Now 35, Hernandez has adapted his game from touchline hogger to central creator to great effect. Evidence of his influence on Leeds is that they have won 2.15 points per game when he has played this season – the most of any player in the Championship this season.
Mateusz Klich
Leeds United’s very own marathon man: Mateusz Klich has started all 92 of his team’s Championship fixtures since Bielsa was appointed ahead of the 2018/19 season.
Klich was loaned out to FC Utrecht for the second half of 2017/18 after finding minutes hard to come by under Bielsa’s predecessors, but the Pole’s remarkable energy reserves are tailor-made for Bielsa-ball.
Over the past two seasons, the 30-year-old has become increasingly effective in the final third, scoring 16 goals and providing 14 assists in the Championship over that period.
Liam Cooper
Although it seems unlikely, Leeds will be desperate to complete the permanent signing of Brighton loanee Ben White this summer given the strength of his partnership with club captain Liam Cooper.
As a young, ball-playing centre-half, the likes of which England don’t currently have enough of, White has been the Leeds defender praised the most this season, but Cooper has been equally important.
While less assured in possession than his partner, Cooper has done the nuts and bolts of defending extremely well, making more clearances and aerial challenges per-90 than any other Leeds player.
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More on Leeds United
- Ayling exclusive: ‘Last season still hurts – but now Leeds are ready for the Premier League’
- Kevin Garside: Every team had a bruiser but few were as gifted as the Leeds United general
- ‘Sealing Leeds United’s promotion was the most important goal of my career’
- Bamford exclusive: ‘I owe a lot to Marcelo Bielsa. He’s the first boss to see me as a No 9’
- ‘Spygate’: Bielsa taught Lampard and all of English football a lesson
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