Patrick Kisnorbo - Fans memories of a Leeds United warrior

Patrick Kisnorbo was a defensive lynchpin who established himself as a favourite among the Elland Road faithful for his solid performances and his brave style of play.

And his debut season with the Whites would proved one to remember with plenty of ups and downs. It kicked off with a head wound on his debut against Exeter City which required stitches. He returned to the pitch wearing a head bandage which he would continue wearing as a 'tradition' during his time with the Whites.

He was hailed as a hero after he and defensive partner Richard Naylor "bolted the door against the assaults of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov" as Leeds beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2010.

His season ended prematurely after suffering suspected ruptured achilles tendon against Millwall at Elland Road in March, ending his hopes of playing in Leeds's promotion charge and also his dream of playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The Whites went on to win automatic promotion back to the Championship and his contributions to the cause were recognised after being named as the fans' Leeds United Player of the Season and also the Players' Player of the Season.

Your YEP has been asking the Elland Road faithful to share memories of the Australian international who became Leeds United's 100th full international player during his time with the club.

Responses included:

Muzzy Moozany - "Loved him, he was immense that season we got promoted. Was a real shame but he wasn’t quite the same after his achilles injury. Loved belting out 'You’ll never beat Kisnorbo'".

Marc Blackburn - "Absolute rock before injury and always gave 100 per cent, was never the same after his injury, any pace was totally gone. Instrumental to promotion from League One which set us on the road to where we are now."

Ciaran Smith - "A true players player, a player who would fight tooth and nail to rise to the occasion against any opponent. But seems an almost unsung hero. One of my favorite all time Leeds players. He gave everything for the shirt."

Liam McCarthy - "Nothing better than a player who really buys into what Leeds is about and throws his body on the line for the cause. An absolute warrior."

Darren Trafford - "I'm 54 years old and had every Leeds shirt you can buy bar four or five in the last 40+ years. Had three names on back of shirts in that time. Kisnorbo was one."

Jason Spike Mosley - "Always put a solid shift in ,, right player in my eyes

Gareth Ash - "Committed, wholehearted. Legend!"

Lee Simpson - "Warrior and 100 per cent committed."

Alan Bell - "Warrior....loved him."

Adam Firth - "You'll never beat Kisnorbo."

Craig Teasdale - "Brave as a lion when he got injured the crowd hushed we knew it was a bad one."

Steve Redgrave - "Man Utd 0 -v- 1 Leeds (FA Cup 3rd Round 2010) - A colossus."

Steven Fenwick - "Decent player give his all for our club."

Jon O'Leary - "Best centre-back we've had since Matteo left I reckon."

Steve Kirkley - "Solid defender and always gave 100 per cent."

Steve Adams - "Technically not the greatest but the thing with players like Paddy is their absolute commitment which fans will always appreciate."

Paul Thompson - " Loved him!! Quality player who gave 100 per cent all the time. Shame he had a lot of injuries towards the end."

Leonard Maton - "He was loyal and gave all for the badge on his shirt."

**********************

A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins