After barren years Leeds look to youth againAs Leeds prepare for their FA Cup Third Round replay against Arsenal on Wednesday, ITV.com's James Appell sees the club returning to its traditions of bringing through local talent.
It's old hat these days around Leeds to try and count up the players who graduated through the club's youth system before leaving for pastures new.
Paul Robinson, Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell, Aaron Lennon, Scott Carson, James Milner - all of them began their careers at Leeds's Thorp Arch academy.
The club's relegation from the Premier League prompted an exodus of players which led many fans to dream of what could have been had they held onto these talents.
Moreover, since Leeds began their now seven-year absence from the top flight the production line appears to have dried up.
Partly that comes down to the predatory nature of other Premier League clubs. Danny Rose, a bright young thing and a native of South Yorkshire, made a £1 million switch to Tottenham in 2007, and reminded Leeds of what they were missing last season with a stunning goal in the North London derby.
Others to have moved on include Fabian Delph, now of Aston Villa, Everton's Luke Garbutt and Tom Taiwo and Michael Woods, who were bought by Chelsea amid outcry from Leeds chairman Ken Bates about "tapping up".
Just three academy graduates are currently challenging for a first team place at Elland Road. Captain Jonny Howson is the big success story, having firmly established himself in the role of 'local boy done good'. But though full-backs Ben Parker and Aidan White have made fleeting first-team appearances, they are by no means considered regulars.
White was the last graduate to debut - over two years ago - and though Leeds have earned praise for their reliance on youth, the majority of their players have been brought in from elsewhere.
Max Gradel, 23, was a summer signing from Leicester. Bradley Johnson, also 23, was a £250,000 signing from Northampton. Sanchez Watt, 19, is on loan from Arsenal, while Robert Snodgrass, another 23-year-old, Leeds's goalscorer at the Emirates last week, came through the ranks at Livingston.
Leeds have acted to reinvigorate their youth development programme in recent months, and parted company with academy director Neil Thompson after six years in the job. A replacement is currently being identified.
Manager Simon Grayson knows the club's tradition of producing young talent more than most - born in Ripon, Grayson himself came through the club's youth ranks - and he believes the restructuring at Thorp Arch could yield results.
"Leeds United fans love seeing home-grown talent in the first team but over the last few years we haven't seen many coming through," Grayson said back in November.
"I started here as a supporter and as a kid and I want other people to have a similar experience," he added.
"Nothing would give me greater satisfaction as Leeds United's manager than to be playing home-grown talent."
With a local man at the helm, and with the club on the rise again, who would bet against Leeds producing another crop of Kewells, Milners and Lennons in the coming years?
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