Leeds United had little to rejoice throughout their 16-year break from the Premier League, with their distress solely compounded once they even dropped into League One for a spell.
It was the bottom the membership had sunk to in its historical past and marked essentially the most depressing interval to assist the Whites.
A return to the highest flight appeared essentially the most unlikely of targets, however little did they know they have been about to unleash a person who would take the crew on his again to return them to inside only a marketing campaign of their dream.
Jermaine Beckford’s goalscoring exploits will go down in historical past on the Yorkshire outfit as he turned up once they wanted him most to inject some hope again into the membership.
Whereas solely a handful of heroes have been created earlier than their eventual return in 2020, the 6-foot-2 ahead is bound to stay one of many few to step up in his darkest hour.
How did Jermaine Beckford play for Leeds?
Signing from Wealdstone after his unimaginable scoring report attracted huge consideration, the younger ahead loved a mortgage spell at Scunthorpe United the place he heralded his spectacular League One kind that will show so very important.
Is Jermaine Beckford a Leeds legend?
Returning to his mum or dad membership, who themselves had simply been relegated from the Championship, he established himself as a mainstay within the crew and scored 20 occasions in 40 league matches.
The 39-year-old wouldn’t relent in his burning need to drive the membership to promotion, as subsequent season he would take additional 27 aim as they once more missed out on promotion.
Nevertheless, it could be third time fortunate as Beckford as soon as once more confirmed his spectacular high quality and scored 25 occasions once they triumphantly returned to the second division. This was a great distance from the place they needed to be however remained an enormous step in the direction of securing the additional promotion that will come only a decade later.
Beckford’s exploits beneath Simon Grayson even led journalist Oliver Todd to name him a “Warneford Highway legend” simply months earlier than his ultimate departure.
Whereas it was a spell the membership would in all probability fairly overlook, including a top-class model of this ferocious finisher on the prime for the present aspect can be a masterpiece, particularly when Javi Gracia’s present outfit have scored simply as soon as of their final 5 video games in all competitions, and Patrick Bamford has solely scored one league aim all season.
Not solely this however similarities may even be drawn between the now-retired ahead and Troy Deeney, who thrived within the Spaniard’s system as a goal-scoring goalkeeper.
Each boast unimaginable physique and a robustness to problem centre-backs, however arguably the previous has way more tempo which might make him much more deadly within the Spaniard’s most well-liked 4-4-2 alongside one other entrance man.
If anybody from the final decade or so may repair Leeds’ present goal-scoring woes, it is definitely Beckford – simply think about if Gracia had him now.
