Premier League winner admits he really didn’t enjoy his time at Leeds United and the fans didn’t help him

Two recent examples include both Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. Despite Leeds being a Premier League club at the time, they still looked to move to Manchester City and Barcelona, ​​winning a few titles each. That said, the former could be on its way to Elland Road this summer.

Going further back, and perhaps to a lesser extent in Phillips and Raphinha, there was a period when Leeds would lose key players to moves to clubs who simply shouldn’t have been in a position to do so. thing.

Within a few years, Norwich City signed Bradley Johnson, Jonny Howson, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio from Leeds. This was effectively the backbone of Leeds’ League One promotion side.

Losing those players for so little money is why it took Leeds 10 years to return to the Premier League after being promoted from League One. Even then, that was due to the appointment of a special manager in Marcelo Bielsa.

Kasper Schmeichel reveals why he didn’t really enjoy his spell at Leeds

At one point, following Leeds’ promotion from the third tier, it looked like they were on the verge of going back-to-back under Simon Grayson.

As it happens, Leeds finished seventh and just outside the play-offs, mainly due to a lack of investment from Ken Bates in an incredibly shaky defence.

Kasper Schmeichel was the man tasked with playing behind that back four, having been signed from Notts County in the summer that followed promotion.

Despite a promising first season, Schmeichel ended up leaving Leeds after just one year when he moved to Championship side Leicester City, where he won both the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘Rest Is Football’ podcast, Schmeichel has now opened up about his time at Leeds and his reasons for leaving, citing a special fan song about his former Manchester United father Peter.

He said: “I didn’t enjoy my time at Leeds, which is a shame because it’s an incredible club. I think it was the wrong time, wrong place, wrong person.

“I was very immature in my way of being and I felt at the time, some of the things that were said about my father were very disrespectful.

“Look, I understand there is rivalry. But when you call my dad certain names, he won’t endear me, no matter if you say they’re okay.

“They used to sing a song, I won’t repeat the word, saying your father is something, but I’m fine. I’m older now, I get the joke, but you still call my dad something that will never sit well with me.

“I had a decent season, just outside the play-offs, but I was criticized by the manager for conceding too many goals when I was injured for two months and in those games I think they lost 7-4. 6-0 and 5-0.”

Leeds were made to regret the Schmeichel fee

As previously mentioned, that period of Leeds’ history was full of the club selling their best players on the cheap, and Schmeichel was no different.

Although the Dane had his ups and downs in his only season at Elland Road, he was just 25 when he was sold, which is very young in goalkeeper terms.

Current Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier is still only 24 and with some of the confidence issues he still has, it shows how much room for development there is for players of that age .

According to Transfermarkt, Leeds sold Schmeichel to Leicester for around £1.4m, a fee that did not reflect his ability or potential either.

Given what he achieved at Leicester and the longevity of his career, Leeds were made to regret letting him go so cheaply.