For PE teacher Alex Tate says he was the one who taught Jonny Howson to kick with his left foot – the one that sent two goals flying home against Carlisle and secured Leeds's place at Wembley.

Alex was Jonny's PE teacher at Bruntcliffe High School in Morley and also his form tutor for three years.

He said he was instantly blown away by Jonny's talent even as a very young player.

He said: "He was genuinely superb at football. I trained him and taught him to kick with his left foot – though he would probably never admit that now!

"I was telling all my mates in the pub last night: I told them they have me to thank!

"I'm a Sunderland fan but I was jumping up and down for him last night. I texted him afterwards to say well done – he texted back with 'Cheers, mate'."

He said that despite his talent Jonny was never a show-off.

He added: "Jonny was great. He was a really modest, polite student and very bright too. He never boasted about his talent or showed off."

"It's great for the school to have such a high-profile player, it really gives the pupils something to aspire to."

He recalled a tour he took the school's team on in Manchester in 2003.

He said: "Jonny was outstanding. He scored seven goals in three games. One of them was an absolute peach with his left.

"You could tell then that he would have a great future."

Jonny, now 19, joined the Leeds United Academy when he was nine and worked his way through the ranks.

He signed his first professional contract in 2006 and made his first team debut last year.

He is the latest in a series of homegrown Leeds United heroes – David Batty, who originally hails from Harehills; Alan Smith, from Rothwell; Aaron Lennon from Little London; and James Milner who came from Horsforth.