Leeds United have had many talented players graduate from the academy to the first team over the years.
One example of this would be Jonathan Woodgate.
In his five seasons at Leeds between 1998 and 2003, the centre-back made 142 appearances. In that time, he scored four goals and provided five assists. (LUFCHistory)
After our well-documented fall post David O’Leary, Woodgate was among those players who were sold amid our financial troubles. In January 2003, Woodgate joined Newcastle for £9million and Leeds supporters were frustrated as a result.
Now, the former Leeds man has recently been met with some disappointing but unsurprising news from a personal standpoint.
Jonathan Woodgate is among the staff sacked by Man United.
This morning, Fabrizio Romano reported that Michael Carrick has been sacked by Manchester United.
This unsurprising news came after Man United went on a run of just one win in eleven games in all competitions.
Woodgate, who was a first-team coach under Carrick, has also been axed at Old Trafford, per a report from Teesside Live.
Woodgate had previously worked under Carrick at Middlesbrough from 2022 to 2025. So when Carrick was initially appointed as the interim manager of Man United back in January, Woodgate chose to join him. This is despite his previous connection to Leeds.
Of course, when Carrick was given the managerial role permanently and handed a two-year deal, Woodgate chose to stick about as well.
Jonathan Woodgate’s legacy tarnished forever for not even a year’s work
Woodgate was a big part of that Leeds team in the late 90s and early 00s that challenged right at the top of English football whilst also having various runs in Europe.
During his playing career, Woodgate made more appearances for the Whites than any other club.
However, the way he is now viewed at Elland Road will always be tarnished after he followed Carrick to Manchester.
And for what?
Ultimately, Carrick, Woodgate and the rest of the staff didn’t even last a year at Old Trafford.
So was it all really worth it?
Only Woodgate can answer that. But our former defender, kitted out in Man United’s training gear and spending time in the dugout at Old Trafford, will be impossible to forget for us back in West Yorkshire.
