Evergreen

The 5 best Irish players to play for Leeds United – Do you agree? 

|
Image for The 5 best Irish players to play for Leeds United – Do you agree? 

With St Patrick’s Day celebrated this weekend, it’s fair to say that some of the most iconic players to play for Leeds United have hailed from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Whites have a strong following from all across the British Isles thanks to their illustrious history, as well as bringing through some of the best ever players to play for the countries in Great Britain and Ireland.

St Patrick’s Day was celebrated on Friday in typical fashion, and while there isn’t much Irish representation at Elland Road at the moment, there is plenty of history in that regard.

Here, we look at the five best Irish players we think ever played for Leeds…

Johnny Giles

Starting off with the man who most would agree was the best ever Irishman to grace the pitch at Leeds in Johhny Giles (far left).

One half of the Don Revie’s iconic midfield partnership alongside Billy Bremner, Giles was a core part of the side that won a host of domestic titles as well as two Fairs Cups during that legendary era for the club.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of his career, though, was when he gave Liverpool’s Kevin Keegan a hefty punch during the 1974 Charity Shield match at Wembley.

In total, Giles found the net 115 times in 521 appearances for Leeds before leaving in 1975, a true great of Leeds United.

John Sheridan

After struggling to make the grade at Manchester City, Sheridan joined Leeds back in 1982, where he remained at the club for seven years until 1989.

During that time, he made 230 appearances for the club where he scored 47 times from midfield, while the side sat in the Second Division.

However, despite Leeds not being in the top flight, he helped the side to an FA Cup semi-final, losing out to winners Coventry.

Sheridan’s time at Leeds wasn’t laden with success and silverware, but his constant presence in the side during his seven-year stint ensured he was a fan favourite.

Stuart Dallas

Still with the squad, Dallas is one of the more iconic players to have come from the promotion-winning side of 2019/20, a firm part of everything successful Marcelo Bielsa achieved at Leeds.

A spare part prior to the Argentine’s arrival, the Northern Irishman became a vital cog in the system, but not limited to just one position, but standing out no matter where he played.

Playing in either full-back positions, out wide, or in the middle of midfield, Dallas has been exceptional for Leeds, in particular in Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League where he netted an impressive eight goals and two assists – including a stunning brace away to Manchester City in a memorable 2-1 win.

One of the players who perfectly epitomises ‘Side before Self, every time’.

Gary Kelly

Kelly arrived in 1991 to join up with Leeds’ youth setup initially, before he made his debut in 1992 during Leeds’ title-winning season under Howard Wilkinson, but he would not become a regular in the side until 1993/94.

His chance came after an injury to Mel Sterland, where he swiftly became a hit with superb performances earning him a spot in the Premier League Team of the Year for that campaign.

Kelly’s consistent performances ended up earning him the captaincy under George Graham in 1996/97, where he remained a core figure through Leeds’ successful period as Champions League football came to Elland Road.

Kelly remained with Leeds despite relegation to the Championship in 2004, until relationships with Ken Bates and Dennis Wise justifiably led to him leaving and retiring in 2007 in an emotional farewell.

The Republic of Ireland international is the only player outside of the Revie era to clock over 500 appearances for Leeds.

Ian Harte

Moving to the other side of the defence now and another iconic Irish full-back in Ian Harte, a man far better known for his ability from a dead ball than his defensive contributions.

A wand of a left-foot, Harte added a whopping 38 goals and 27 assists to his tally from an impressive 281 appearances during his time at Elland Road.

Iconic goals include those against the likes of Deportivo in the Champions League as his strike sent Leeds into the semi-final of the competition, as well as a stunning free-kick away to Arsenal to keep Leeds in the Premier League in 2002/03.

Share this article

Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.