Players 40 to 21

40

Vinnie Jones (1989-1990)

Jones arrived from Wimbledon in June 1989 for £600,000 and became a Leeds cult figure overnight. Notoriety seemed to follow the former hod-carrier from the day he turned professional in 1986. The Ball-winning midfielder had been sent off three times in his Wimbledon career. Dubbed 'Psycho' by the media, he cleaned up his act and his long throw ins were a regular source of goals as he added a Second Division Championship medal to his already won FA Cup medal. The arrival of Gary McAllister saw him lose his first team spot and after 15 happy months, which saw him play 51 full games and score 9 goals, he left for Sheffield United for £700,000 in 1990, later returning to Wimbledon via Chelsea. Always controversial he was sent off in his fourth of 9 Welsh International Appearances and a total of 12 times in his career.

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39

Olivier Dacourt (2000-2003)

French International Dacourt first made his mark at RC Strasbourg, breaking through in the 1993/94 season. Everton paid £4m for his services. Scored twice in 30 games in his only season at Goodison Park before being transferred back to France, joining RC Lens for £6.5m. His all-action displays helped Lens reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. Returned to England to sign for Leeds  in an £7.2m deal and immediately added steel and quality to their youthful  midfield. He starred as United reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. His star dipped from then on, though, and Dacourt joined AS Roma on loan in January 2003 before making the deal permanent in the summer. He played 78 games and scored 3 goals.

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38

Alan Smith (1998-2004)

Scored with his first touch in senior football as Leeds beat Liverpool in November 1998, going on to to establish himself as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's first choice striking partner for the rest of that season. Smith coupled a deadly eye for goal with a real aggression, unusual in one so slight of stature. Smith gained excellent experience during Leeds' successful Champions League run during the 2000/01 season, the return of 11 Premiership goals was the best of his career. He made his England debut in 2001. His disciplinary record continued to haunt him the next season, as he picked up a total of three red cards and 12 yellow in all competitions. And a return of just three Premiership goals was far from impressive. The 2003/04 season was a huge one for Smith, he remained a shining light in a dismal Leeds team and was an inspiration. Smith scored 56 goals in a total of 228 games before leaving for Man U. 

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37

Gordon McQueen (1972-1978)

Born 1952 and capped 30 times by Scotland the towering centre-half played initially for St Mirren in 1970 before joining LUFC as Jack Charlton's replacement in 1972 for £30,000 , where he became first choice in the championship winning 1974-75 team. Full Scottish honours followed quickly before a British Record £495,000 took him to Man U in 1978, where he won an FA Cup winners medal. His aerial power made him a formidable opponent, but his career was blighted by injury, firstly a bad Achilles tendon injury at Leeds and later a spate of injuries at Manchester. He made 171 starts and scored 18 goals.

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36

Joe Jordan (1970-1978)

"Dracula" was bought from Greenock to Leeds in 1970 for a bargain £15,000 . A powerful striker, he scared opposition defenders and keepers with his toothless snarl, resulting in 48 goals in the eight years he was at our club. Always fighting for his place in the team, with Jones or Clarke, he nevertheless made 220 starts for Leeds before moving to Manchester Utd in 1978. Capped 52 times for Scotland, he scored the goal that took them to the 1974 World Cup.

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35

Mel Sterland (1989-1993)

Born Sheffield 1961, he joined his home club Wednesday and turned professional in 1979. He played a key role in their 1984 promotion to the top flight. He gained 7 under 21 and a "B" cap before his sole England cap in 1988. He was sold for a club record £800,000 to Glasgow Rangers in 1989 where he won a League Championship medal before rejoining his former Manager Howard Wilkinson at Leeds for £600,000 the same year. Dubbed "Zico" by the fans because of his ability to score spectacular goals, his dynamic runs down the right and booming crosses brought many goals for Lee Chapman as Leeds swept firstly to the Second Division title and later to  First Division Championship in the space of three years. Injuries took their toll and he retired in 1994 after 143 starts and 20 goals.

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34

Dominic Matteo (2000-2004)

Born Dumfries in 1974. Capped at England Under-21 and 'B' levels. He made his Scotland debut in 2000. His versatility saw him fill numerous roles for the both Leeds and Liverpool, including midfield and central defensive spots, coaches believed that his best position was at left-back. A good range of passing and the skill and confidence to take opponents on led Leeds signing him for £4.25. He debuted against AC Milan in the Champions League, then netted his first Leeds goal against Besiktas. He was handed the captaincy for the 2002/03 season and signed a new, extended contract. However, he was not able to save Leeds United from the drop in 2003/04, despite a number of committed performances in both defence and midfield, moving on to Blackburn Rovers at the end of the season.

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33

Albert Johanneson (1961-1970)

A member of Don Revie's great Leeds side, was seen as something of a "novelty player", but still mesmerised opposing teams with his dancing runs down the wing. He was the first black player to appear in an F.A. Cup Final, in 1965 against Liverpool, but in most games he was the victim of deliberate and dangerous fouling by desperate defenders. His resulting injuries led to a lack of confidence and the emergence of Eddie Gray meant he struggled to fulfil his potential, before leaving Leeds in 1970 and moving on to York. After two years there he retired into obscurity, suffering health and drink problems and in 1995 died alone, aged 53, in a Gledhow bedsit, in Leeds.

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32

Jonathan Woodgate (1997-2003)

He joined the club at the age of 13 and was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1997, moving to the first team regularly in 1998. His aerial abilities, combative nature and calmness on the ball  led to him being earmarked as an England regular of the future. Indeed his superb first season was capped by a call up from Kevin Keegan to the full England squad at the tender age of 19. He had a wonderful 1999/2000 season until events off the pitch saw his form understandably dip. He agreed a new contract with Leeds in the summer of 2002 that would keep him at Elland Road for five years. Woodgate served nearly three years of suspension from international duty due to his court case. Woodgate moved to Newcastle in January 2003 and only 20 months later secured a move to Real Madrid.

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31

David Harvey (1965-1979, 1983-1985)

Born Leeds in 1948, he joined United in 1965 and such was the brilliance of Gary Sprake that he had to make about 200 Central league appearances before establishing himself as a first team regular and gaining a FA Cup winners medal in 1972. His career took off and he was capped 16 times for Scotland, his father was Scottish, and he was rated the best goalkeeper in the 1974 World Cup. A bad car accident in early 1975 saw him temporarily lose his place to David Stewart, who took his place in the Scottish team and in the European Cup Final. He regain his place, but he joined Vancouver Whitecaps in 1980. He returned to Leeds in 1983 before finally leaving in 1985. His 445 appearances is all the more remarkable when considering his many games for the Reserves.

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30

Rio Ferdinand (2000-2002)

A supremely elegant footballer who defends with intelligence and guile, but also uses the ball when possession is gained. Leeds smashed not only the British transfer record, but also the world record fee for a defender to prise him away from Upton Park. Paying £18m for Ferdinand, a fee which sent shockwaves through the footballing world. The move undoubtedly benefited Rio, who improved his ability and claimed a spot in the England set-up as the old rearguard was phased out. At the 2002 World Cup he emerged as a truly world class defender. He was a rock as England went out to Brazil in the quarter-finals. He left for Man U for £29.3million. Player of the Year at Leeds in his final season, Ferdinand was a real favourite at Leeds, played 73 games for the club and scored three goals.

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29

Trevor Cherry (1972-1982)

Born Huddersfield, 1948, he signed for his home town team in 1965 and captained them to the Second Division Championship in 1969-70. He moved to Leeds for £100,000 in 1972, and, while formerly almost exclusively a central defender, his ability to play midfield and full back made him a valuable acquisition. He won 27 caps for England and had the honour of captaining his country, but he was also one of the few England players to be sent off. He won a League championship medal in 1974 and played 477 full games and 8 as substitute, scoring 32 goals before joining Bradford City as player manager and led them to promotion to Division 2.

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28

Gary Speed (1988-1996)

Born 1969, Speed joined Leeds straight from school in 1987. A Welsh Youth International, he got his first team chance after he scored in 12 consecutive Northern Intermediate League games. After one appearance for the first team he was called into the Welsh full squad for whom he appeared 34 times whilst at Leeds. He excelled in Uniteds' championship winning team when his forays down the left and his ability in the air brought him , and others, plenty of goals. He made 291 full and 20 substitute appearances scoring 57 goals before moving to Everton for £3.4m in 1996. He later moved to Newcastle United and a testament to his longevity and freedom from serious injury was that Gary held the record for most appearances of any outfield player in the EPL, long after his retirement.

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27

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink (1997-1999)

Surinam born, moved with his family to Holland and started his European football with Telstar, then AZ. Coming to Leeds from Boavista, for £2M in 1997, he soon became a firm favourite with the fans...if not with the management. Produced 42 (usually flamboyant) goals in 87 Leeds appearances, but was too temperamental for George Graham's liking and was frequently substituted. O'Leary gave him his chances, but in the summer of 1999 he was transferred to Athletico Madrid, for £12M. under very unclear circumstances. The official Leeds board statement said he demanded a new wage contract far above what they were prepared to pay. Jimmy himself says he wanted to stay at Leeds, as he saw O'Leary's team gearing up for European success, and that he was sold off to provide the money needed to take Leeds into Europe.

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26

John Sheridan (1982-1989)

Discarded by Manchester City, Sheridan went on to become a major influence in the Leeds midfield as they strove to recapture Division One status in the 1980s. Within six months of being rejected by Man City, he had made his league debut for Leeds, his vision and skill hallmarking him as a player for the future. He recovered well from a broken leg sustained at Barnsley in 1983, to become United's most valuable playing asset, being particularly lethal from free kicks. On the arrival of Howard Wilkinson as manager Sheridan was sold to Nottingham Forest.

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25

Lee Bowyer (1996-2003)

Bowyer moved to Leeds United in July 1996 from Charlton Athletic for a then British record fee for a teenager of £3 million. After taking a long time to settle, his performances led to him being voted United's Player of the Year for 1998/99. A hard-working player, hard in the tackle and with an eye for goal, Bowyer looked to be the fringe of an England place until his well-publicised troubles. Bowyer showed magnificent form in the first half of the 1999/2000 season, he was a star at home and in Europe as Leeds made the semi-finals of the Champions League, and he almost finished top scorer in the competition. He was one of the best players in the Premiership throughout 2000/01, even though his court case was in progress. He left Leeds in 2003 for West Ham before moving to Newcastle United.

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24

Lee Chapman (1990-1993, 1996)

Born Lincoln in 1959, he began his professional career with Stoke City in 1978, where he once recorded a hat-trick against Leeds, showing early promise in winning an England under 23 cap. After establishing himself at Stoke, his career faltered and he played with Arsenal, and Sunderland before Howard Wilkinson took him to Sheffield Wednesday in 1984. He netted 69 goals in 149 games for the Owls before taking on an unsuccessful sample of French football, which quickly saw him return to England with Nottingham Forest, where he won League Cup and Zenith Cup winner's medals. He joined Leeds in 1990 and led them to the Second Division and First Division Championships in quick succession. He played 171 games and scored 80 goals. He left in 1993 but returned for a short loan spell in 1996.

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23

Tony Currie (1976-1979)

Born in Edgeware, London in 1950. Tony Currie was the nearest thing Leeds has to fill the Bremner, Giles combination. His delicate skills and passing ability saw him win 11 of his 17 caps for England while a Leeds player. He was sold by Sheffield United to Leeds in 1976 and Currie maintained his star status at Elland Road, adding consistently to his talents. For two season he was a regular in the England squad but could not add domestic honours. He played 123 games for Leeds and scored 25 goals.

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22

Tony Yeboah (1995-1997)

Born Ghana 1966, few strikers have made such an explosive impact as Yeboah. Outside the Bundesliga few had heard of the Ghanaian's goal power, but it did not take long for him to take English Football by storm with a series of spectacular goals. Leeds shattered the club's transfer record in paying Eintracht Frankfurt £3.4m in early 1995. He soon picked up the pace with 13 goals in his first 16 games. His goals ensured a UEFA Cup place and he did not disappoint in Europe when a virtuoso performance netted him an hat-trick at Monaco,. This was followed quickly by another hat-trick at Wimbledon. It  included a blistering shot shot which was only surpasses by a match winning volley against Liverpool, which earned him the goal of the year award. He sustained a succession of injuries while on International duty and left the club in 1997. Winner of the Leeds player of the year award in 1996 he made 55 full and 4 substitute appearances and netted 32 goals.

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21

Bobby Collins (1962-1967)

Small in stature, but huge in standing amongst United's galaxy of greats, Collins was the platform on which manager Don Revie launched his great sides. Revie paid £25,000 to Everton in March 1962 for the 31 year old former Scottish international, who went on to lift a mediocre club out of the depths of Division Two to one of the most successful in Europe. He captained Leeds to the Second Division title in 1963-64 and the following season was voted footballer of the year as Leeds came close to a League and Cup double. He was capped 31 times for Scottland.

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