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EXCLUSIVE: Derry's verdict on Wise
EXCLUSIVE Shaun Derry has opened his heart to the Yorkshire Evening Post giving a frank interview about his transfer from Leeds United to Crystal Palace.
The midfielder, who completed a move from Elland Road to Palace yesterday, spilled the beans on his unforgettable time in Leeds and his relationship with Dennis Wise. Phil Hay reports.
Jesse Derry will be raised as a Leeds United supporter after being born into the "most unforgettable" period of his father Shaun's footballing career.
The Derry family left their residence in Harrogate for the final time on Monday night, saying farewell to a town and a county which has been their home for three years. Both of Shaun Derry's children were born in Yorkshire, and the enforced allegiance of his son will guarantee at least one future tie with Elland Road.
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Their departure from Harrogate was in anticipation of Derry's transfer from Leeds to Crystal Palace, a deal which was concluded yesterday afternoon. The 30-year-old admitted to having "tears in my eyes" as he followed the road to London but was realistic to accept that the time to move on had come. He had, in fact, suspected that his career at Leeds had ended on the day he transferred on loan to Selhurst Park on November 19.
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Asked to define his three years at Elland Road, Derry could only describe the experience as unforgettable. The timeline of his relationship with United has been atypical and eventful, and one which will stand out on the day of his retirement.
It started with the collapse of a proposed move to Leeds in November 2004, and began in earnest when he signed for United from Palace three months later. Through a play-off final, a spell as the club's captain and 10 months fighting a painful cyst on his heel, Derry has mixed success with despondency for as long as he has held a connection with Elland Road. The events leading up to his exit may be privately listed as another low.
"As a family we emptied our house in Harrogate on Monday night, and there were a few tears shed as we left," Derry said.
"It's been home to us for a long time, and we'd all say it was the best place to live in England. It helps when you're playing for one of the country's best clubs.
"Signing for Leeds United was such a proud day for me, and there can't be a single player who wasn't sad to leave the club. I've had good times and bad times, and some of the bad times have been very difficult. But the whole experience has been unforgettable. It's been an absolute privilege.
"You don't choose to play for Leeds United, the club choose you. I'm honoured that they did. My son Jesse will be brought up as a Leeds United fan now because when I was young it was traditional to support your local team, and Leeds are his. He'll thank me for that when he's old enough to understand."
As thrilled as he was to complete his transfer to Palace yesterday, earning the security of a three-year contract at the age of 30, Derry described his move out of Elland Road as "a wrench".
It was, however, an agreement which had seemed probable - perhaps inevitable - from the moment he linked up with Palace on a two-month loan, and Derry was honest enough to admit that the transfer is likely to serve the best interests of himself, his former club and his former manager Dennis Wise.
The relationship between Derry and Wise has been the subject of much discussion and speculation since the midfielder was allowed to join Palace in November, shortly after he recovered from his long-standing heel injury.
The midfielder carried the captain's armband into Wise's first game as manager - against Southend United at Elland Road last season - but the sense of accord between them appears to have deteriorated as the months passed. When he accepted the offer from Neil Warnock to return to Selhurst Park, Derry had not played in a competitive game for Leeds for the best part of a year. He did not expect another opportunity to present itself.
"I don't think it would be appropriate to splash any bitterness across the media," said Derry. "But if I'm being honest with people then I'd say that Dennis Wise is not someone I got on with personally.
"That's often the case in football. You can't see eye-to-eye with everyone and I don't wish ill-will on any individual at Leeds. In fact, I wish them all the luck in the world. But there wasn't much left for me as things stood.
"When I captained Leeds for Dennis' first game as manager I thought then that the relationship would be a long one, but times change and they change quickly. I had horrendous injury problems but when I recovered in November I wasn't invited to train with the first team, and I was honest enough to accept the bigger picture there and then. The situation was clear as day, and I didn't really expect that another opportunity would come along.
"Five years ago my reaction to that might have been very volatile. These days I've got a wife and two children, and you have to keep a level head. I'd have been happy to fight for my place at Leeds but Crystal Palace were offering me a better chance. This move isn't just about football, it's about my responsibilities as a father and a husband.
"I've had brilliant times as Leeds, and none better than getting to the play-off final. That will stay with me forever. But 2007 was a case of going from one disaster to another. Neil Warnock showed faith in me at exactly the point when I needed it, and I'm joining Palace for him as much as anyone else."
Even as he sent Derry to Palace towards the end of last year, Wise was promising that the midfielder might still have the chance to reclaim his place in United's line-up, a vow which was almost fulfilled on New Year's Day.
Wise asked Derry to return to Leeds before United's game against Oldham Athletic, a request enforced by serious injury problems at Elland Road. Derry's deal did not contain a recall clause but Wise had expected that his personal appeal would convince the midfielder to cut short his stay with Palace.
The move provoked further unrest as United's failure to recall him led Wise to accuse Derry to directly refusing to rejoin Leeds until his loan deal with Palace ended on January 19. It is an accusation which the 30-year-old accepts. The decision to remain at Selhurst Park was his, he admits, and was taken for what he believes were the right reasons, both professionally and personally.
"People who know me would say that I'm a man of my word, and I had a contract with Palace which I felt I should honour," said Derry. "The fact that Leeds didn't ask for a 24-hour recall clause spoke volumes in my opinion. I didn't feel I was wanted there.
"I was always willing to return to Leeds, and I would have gone back there happily this week if a deal hadn't been agreed. But I didn't think it was right to go back before the end of my loan and to let down the people who had given me a chance. I didn't want to burn my bridges with Crystal Palace.
"A permanent transfer was never guaranteed, and it was probably questionable right up until last week. What I did know was that I couldn't count on a future at Leeds, and I needed to think of my own career and my own circumstances. In the end, it was the right decision for me.
"But I'm not prepared to be bitter about way my time with Leeds has come to an end. Despite the ups and downs, these three years have given me a lot of perspective about the job we do. We're incredibly lucky to be footballers, and the more I think about the years I spent with Leeds, the more privileged I am to be one."
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