Harry Kewell

[Cjay]

Inspired indirectly by Sol Campbell this, he mentioned he was "one of the best footballers in the world" during his press conference (debatable given some of the cbs around then" but anyway.

I wondered if i had seen a truly world class footballer in a Leeds shirt.

Difficult because i think "world class" gets thrown about a bit to much. Think there's a difference between being a world class talent and a world class player.

A world class talent imo is someone younger, early 20s late teens who has had some great seasons but hasnt yet reached there peek but has room to improve and show consistency at the highest level for a number of years.

A truly world class player is someone who has done that, reached there peak and been brilliant for there peak years.

Like comparing Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi for example.

So sadly i decided i had never seen a world class player at Leeds, Rio Ferdinand became one, others were certainly very good, Hasselbaink, Viduka, Radebe, Woodgate, Dacourt, but not world class.

I decided that the closest i have gotten to seeing a world class player at Leeds was 1999-2000 season Harry Kewell.

I know Harry is a touchy subject now, but for this im talking about Harry Kewell the Leeds player, not the man, just the player. Important this bit, have to separate the man from the player in the same way people do for the likes of George Best, Diego Maradona and Paul Gascoigne to name a few.

1999-2000 was the last season Harry was truly injury free, he did his tendon in the summer 2000 and from there on in injuries continued for the rest of his career.

So peek Harry Kewell imo was when he was just 20-21 years old, he turned 21 September 1999.

That year he was named PFA Young Player Of The Year and in the PFA Team of The Year, plus earning a 2001 Ballon d'Or nomination.

He scored 10 and assisted 13 in the league and in all competitions scored 17 assisted 20.

He played 36 league games that season, 53 in all competitions. He only played 36 league games once more, his first Liverpool season.

He never had a more perfect season, career best for him and injuries slowly ruined his career.

We had his best season, incredible numbers for his age.

53 games 17 goals 20 assists at 21 years old.

For comparison at the same point in there careers.

Gareth Bale 41 games 11 goals 3 assists.

Cristiano Ronaldo 34 games 17 goals 8 assists.

Eden Hazard 49 games 22 goals 16 assists (In Ligue 1, season before he joined Chelsea ).

The comparison shows that Harry was performing at a higher standard then both Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard and his stats arent that much worse then Ronaldo playing in the league Champions that season.

Peek Harry Kewell was only 20-21, and at that time he truly was a world class talent.

He actually reminds me of Gareth Bale, left footed, strong, quick, technically brilliant, good in the air.

Only difference is Harry never got his peek years, had he then i really think he would have been right up there with the greats of the time.

As good as Messi ? Maybe not.

But there wasnt much difference between 21 year old Harry Kewell and 21 year old Cristiano Ronaldo.

Its hard for LUFC fans to look back fondly on Harry now.

Understandable but a shame.

Harry Kewell at 21 years old was as close imo as we have gotten to a truly world class player maybe ever, i wasnt born when Revie's team was around, and I'm to young to remember Wilko's team.

Harry was my favourite player growing up. He is still by some distance the best player I've seen in a Leeds shirt.

Its a shame that football never got to see a truly peek Harry Kewell.

Injuries ruined that.

But in the 1999-2000 season LUFC had a truly world class talent who had every chance of going on to be a world class player.

Harry Kewell the person may not be a favourite anymore.

But Harry Kewell the player?

[YorkshireSquare]

Truly world class at Leeds in my lifetime? Eric Cantona

I'd argue Rio too but defenders never get the glory they deserve.

[billie1]

I would say that Rio Ferdinand was world class in his one full season at Leeds culminating in stand our displays at the 2002 World Cup . Looking back Fergie described him as such at the time he signed for him , and I wouldn’t disagree . Actually I read an interesting article recently that Ferdinand was the last world class player signed by Ferguson who didn’t turn out to be a flop ( Veron etc ) .

[Cjay]

Truly world class at Leeds in my lifetime? Eric Cantona

I'd argue Rio too but defenders never get the glory they deserve.

Do wonder how things would have turned out had we kept Cantona.

Couldn't decide on Rio, whether he was world class when we had him or not, certainly world class talent.

[Cjay]

Truly world class at Leeds in my lifetime? Eric Cantona

I'd argue Rio too but defenders never get the glory they deserve.

Do wonder how things would have turned out had we kept Cantona.

Couldn't decide on Rio, whether he was world class when we had him or not, certainly world class talent.

[leic white 63]

you have opened a can of worms here fella.
folk will argue all day and night over who is world class or not.

as you say world class gets thrown about to much . imo world class players belong in a special category. over the last 40 / 50 years imo only a chosen few belong in this category. off the top of my head players like pele , maradona , cruyff, best , beckenbauer. messi, ronaldo, moore, ronaldinho , socrates , pique, sedan etc etc ......
you can argue bremner/ giles belong in this category.

imo rio ferdinand wasn't world class the same can be said about rooney. but i'll leave it to the rest to argue among yourselfs. .

[paddy parrott]

Ferdinand was totally a world class central defender . It s a no brainer , goals , tough tackling...when required . Ruddy he'll he had pace to burn & a brain that for me made our defence as good as it gets. In fact he helped transform our on the pitch quality no end.
Alas ! It all came at a huge price.

[weasel]

I would say that Rio Ferdinand was world class in his one full season at Leeds culminating in stand our displays at the 2002 World Cup . Looking back Fergie described him as such at the time he signed for him , and I wouldn’t disagree . Actually I read an interesting article recently that Ferdinand was the last world class player signed by Ferguson who didn’t turn out to be a flop ( Veron etc ) .

For me RF was superb in his time at Leeds and I don't think he hit that same peak at MU despite the trophies.

I would strongly argue though that in the few months at the start of his first full season for us that Tony Yeboah was world class and could have walked into any team in the world. The goals he scored still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and that is without seeing them but just remembering them in my head while I type. Truly awesome and he was scoring goals out of nothing, goals that if the opposition had 2 keepers in net wouldn't have been saved. Liverpool, Wimbledon, Sheff Wed, Monaco - those were just unbelievable goals and all whilst playing for a very average Leeds side.

The bizarre thing is that I watched quite a few games live around that time (including the Monaco return game) and he was f*cking awful including missing a tap in from a couple of yards out. Never did see him score in the flesh.

[leic white 63]

For me RF was superb in his time at Leeds and I don't think he hit that same peak at MU despite the trophies.

I would strongly argue though that in the few months at the start of his first full season for us that Tony Yeboah was world class and could have walked into any team in the world. The goals he scored still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and that is without seeing them but just remembering them in my head while I type. Truly awesome and he was scoring goals out of nothing, goals that if the opposition had 2 keepers in net wouldn't have been saved. Liverpool, Wimbledon, Sheff Wed, Monaco - those were just unbelievable goals and all whilst playing for a very average Leeds side.

The bizarre thing is that I watched quite a few games live around that time (including the Monaco return game) and he was f*cking awful including missing a tap in from a couple of yards out. Never did see him score in the flesh.

tony yeboah was a great player for us scored some absolute beauties . he was also superb in a one to one situation . however sorry imo i would'nt put him in a maradona, cruyff bracket . they have done it at the highest levels world cups etc . thats the difference being a great player and being truely world class !! over and out .

[1964white]

For me RF was superb in his time at Leeds and I don't think he hit that same peak at MU despite the trophies.

I would strongly argue though that in the few months at the start of his first full season for us that Tony Yeboah was world class and could have walked into any team in the world. The goals he scored still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and that is without seeing them but just remembering them in my head while I type. Truly awesome and he was scoring goals out of nothing, goals that if the opposition had 2 keepers in net wouldn't have been saved. Liverpool, Wimbledon, Sheff Wed, Monaco - those were just unbelievable goals and all whilst playing for a very average Leeds side.

The bizarre thing is that I watched quite a few games live around that time (including the Monaco return game) and he was f*cking awful including missing a tap in from a couple of yards out. Never did see him score in the flesh.

Yes Yeboah did play in an average Leeds side Weasel

Imagine Yeboah in that Wilko title winning side or god forbid in Revie's team

Rio Ferdinand is the classiest CB I've seen play for Leeds in the last three decades, immense !

[1964white]

tony yeboah was a great player for us scored some absolute beauties . he was also superb in a one to one situation . however sorry imo i would'nt put him in a maradona, cruyff bracket . they have done it at the highest levels world cups etc . thats the difference being a great player and being truely world class !! over and out .

Yeboah nearly broke the net down at West Ham, thank god he didn't miss or else he could have knocked my block off

[1964white]

Truly world class at Leeds in my lifetime? Eric Cantona

I'd argue Rio too but defenders never get the glory they deserve.

Unfortunately I believe Cantona fell out with Wilko after or maybe before our Watford League Cup game down at Vicarage Road, Eric looked uninterested & was simply woeful, then was transferred to Man U shortly afterwards

We missed a trick there

[1964white]

As for Harry Kewell he was nowhere near world class, he had a couple of decent seasons but he frustrated me to hell far too often

[weasel]

tony yeboah was a great player for us scored some absolute beauties . he was also superb in a one to one situation . however sorry imo i would'nt put him in a maradona, cruyff bracket . they have done it at the highest levels world cups etc . thats the difference being a great player and being truely world class !! over and out .

The trouble is that you cannot really define world class by the player performing at the World Cup because it is just circumstance as to where they were born. George Best never got to play at a World Cup, Eusebio wouldn't have played at a World Cup for Mozambique but qualified to play for Portugal as it was a Portugese colony. Did John Charles ever play at a World Cup? Until the recent expansion to the World Cup allowing so many more countries to make it to the Finals a lot of players missed out - take Wales with Giggs, Rush, Hughes, Southall etc.

Pele is regarded by many as the greatest but how would he have fared if he wasn't part of great Brazillian teams? How would he have fared if he was the 1 star in a poor team being man marked (possibly even doubled up) by the opposition who knew that if they stopped him they stopped that team. Maradona always wins the argument for me as he played in an average team, was kicked to pieces yet still made them into World Champions (as well as him leading a similar Napoli team to Serie A glory).

[billie1]

For me RF was superb in his time at Leeds and I don't think he hit that same peak at MU despite the trophies

I always thought the same thing about Ferdinand . He was never better than in that one full season at Leeds . He credited his development at Leeds to O’Leary ( well he did at the time ) . He made him a world class player .

[weasel]

I always thought the same thing about Ferdinand . He was never better than in that one full season at Leeds . He credited his development at Leeds to O’Leary ( well he did at the time ) . He made him a world class player .

There was also the 'missed' drug test at MU - for which he got banned. That puts a huge cloud over him in my eyes. Found it very coincidental that the player he effectively replaced, Jaap Stam, was banned after a positive drugs test soon after he moved to Lazio from MU.

[Norm]

Shields53 wrote:

Truly world class at Leeds in my lifetime? Eric Cantona

I'd argue Rio too but defenders never get the glory they deserve.

I agree about Cantona - he helped us to win our last title and he probably saved SAF's career at scum - if they hadn't won the first EPL title in 1993 there was a possibility he could have been fired because he didn't fulfil the reason scum employed him.
Cantona was such class - even when sulking he could pull the rabbit out sometimes.

[Chilli D]

CJay mentioned him very briefly- Mark Viduka.
He was absolute class, incredible skill for such a big bloke.
I rang my dad from Miami on the first day of my honeymoon to find out we had beaten Liverpool 4-3 and MV had scored all four.

[The Subhuman]

Ferdinand used to pull out of blocks and some tackles, especially blocks...I guess he was good. If Bremner was English we'd have won the 70 WC too, the best player in my lifetime

[Haighy]

Imo Woodgate was a better cb than Ferdinand.
Injuries knackered him.