How has the club I love come to this?

13 April 2012

This week, six years ago, I was preparing for the biggest game of my career: Leeds versus Valencia in the Champions League semi-final.

Today, I'm trying to console desperate friends and fans as the same club are heading towards League One, requiring a Hull defeat on Sunday and a nine-goal swing on the final day of the season at Derby to keep them in the Championship.

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Decline and fall: The shameful scenes at Saturday's 1-1 draw at Elland Road

How did it come to this? Every fan around the world dreams of playing for their club — I achieved that with Leeds.

From walking down the tunnel, past the chapel, in the Nou Camp for my first Champions League tie, eyeing up the Barcelona opposition: Rivaldo, Overmars, Cocu, Kluivert.

It was a great adventure. We beat AC Milan on our way to the last four, where Valencia were just too good for us.

But a young team, playing in an unconventional, non-European way, had arrived.

We were signing big-name players, adding more quality to a squad full of internationals and chasing the dream. More success would surely follow.

You had to spend big money to keep up with Manchester United and the rest. We were no different from any other top-four club — but then we finished fifth.

That season, the court case involving Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer concluded and the manager, David O'Leary, brought out a book the day after the trial, much to the surprise and disgust of some players.

Fifth place is not bad, unless you were top of the League at New Year and everything was gambled on making the Champions League again. We failed and the club are still paying for it now.

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You beauty: Mills (left) with Ian Harte celebrates a winner for Leeds against Sunderland

O'Leary was sacked. After he had criticised some players in the newspapers, as well as his book, there were not too many of us sad to see him go.

Terry Venables came in, we sold Rio Ferdinand — for a £10million profit — and Robbie Keane too, but he had only started a dozen or so games in any case. There was no hint of things to come.

We started well but by the end of November we were languishing near the wrong end of the table.

Terry wanted to play an international style of slow, measured football but we were high-tempo, aggressive and fit. The style just did not suit us.

Still, nobody questioned the financial situation, until the day when the club sold one of their greatest assets for a miserly £9m.

Woodgate had been sold to Newcastle and nobody knew why. Then it all started to unravel.

The board had gambled on making the Champions League for several years to come, a gamble that seemed quite calculated and reasonable considering the players and success we'd had.

But with Terry guiding the team towards the bottom of the table and the fans starting to show unrest with his appointment, their attention suddenly turned to Peter Ridsdale, the front man of the club and a dedicated fan.

He was allowed to carry the sole blame, but what about the rest of the plc? Most of them were happy to sit back and watch, but it was unjust.

Later that season, Peter Reid replaced Venables and we saved our Premiership status, but the writing was on the wall.

It was made public that the club were in serious financial trouble and it was obvious that Reid was given the job of trimming the squad and reducing the wage bill.

I was being forced out of the club and away from fans I had fallen in love with. In the end I was forced into a situation and joined Middlesbrough on loan.

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Euro glory past: Leeds celebrate winning a Champions League quarter-final

That season finished with Leeds being relegated. Despite Eddie Gray's best efforts, the side he inherited and was asked to save were too far in decline.

By now it was fire-sale time. Players were sold off for a pittance and their contracts had to be paid off, plunging the club further into the depths of despair.

I was one of the last players to leave, mainly because I didn't want to go and I was happy to play in the Championship for a club that I loved — and still love.

After several long meetings it was made clear that I had to go and, three weeks into pre-season training, I left Leeds for Manchester City.

The decline continued, changes were made in the boardroom and with the management. It has not saved them from another almost certain relegation, one season after they were one game from the Premiership, under Kevin Blackwell.

This time it is Ken Bates who is in the line of fire. We should remember that he saved the club before he is solely blamed for the crisis, though it is his pricing of tickets that has impacted on attendances.

A poor average gate of 20,184 is a reflection of that. Many fans have spoken with their feet and I can sympathise. Perhaps a regular gate of 30,000 would have lifted the team.

The chairman is also accountable for appointing the current manager. Dennis Wise had done well at Millwall and very well at Swindon and I'm surprised he has not been able to turn things around.

After all, the current group are still a very good Championship squad. My sentiments on this were supported this week when I attended Gary Kelly's tribute night at Elland Road to honour his 16 years of service to Leeds.

Gary spoke of how he was convinced the squad had some great quality and he had every faith that Wise should remain as manager and get them instant promotion — and this from a player who has been frozen out of the team for the last three months and has most probably played his last game for Leeds United.

So as we accelerate towards another day of despair for Leeds, I remain convinced that, if you get the team your support deserves, they will one day be back challenging for the Premiership title.

Anyone who loves Leeds has to believe that.

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