'It was hard for me, for my family' - cult Leeds United hero Gaetano Berardi reveals when and why he decided to leave Elland Road

One of the club’s most loyal servants of recent times, Berardi made more than 150 appearances for the Whites and captured the hearts of the Elland Road faithful by playing with a ferocity otherwise confined to a bygone era.

The club repaid Berardi’s service by handing him a one-year contract extension after the full-back tore his ACL during the penultimate game of the Whites’ Championship-winning campaign, even though the injury was set to sideline him for most of the following season.

After playing a key role in securing United’s top-flight status, the injury meant Berardi made just two Premier League appearances before leaving in May 2021.

The decision to go was all his, but it wasn’t an easy one to make.

“It was hard,” Berardi said, in an interview with The Square Ball.“It was hard for me, for my family because we spent a lot of time, a lot of years in Leeds, with the people, with the club.

“I was thinking about it in the months before the end of last season, so I took it in a good way. I spoke also with the club, with the coach before the end and I told them that that was my decision.

“It was hard because it was like leaving a lot of friends, a good place, a big part of our life.

“But it's still there - Leeds is still there for us. We know we can come back when we want.

“It was a decision that we wanted to take for our life, for my career as well. So it's OK now - I'm moving on with my career and with my wife, my life.”

Berardi has since become a father and joined top-flight Swiss side Sion FC, having satisfied the greatest wish of his Leeds United career.

“My dream was to take the team to the Premier League,” Berardi said. “What I was thinking before was never to play in the Premier League.

“It was just to take the club to the first division - that was my biggest dream.

“We did it, I was there, and it was the biggest gift in my career.”

Berardi recovered from his ACL rupture in time for a swansong against West Brom at the close of Leeds’ first season back as a Premier League team, a status which Berardi fought long and hard to win for the club and its fans.

The home crowd, returning to Elland Road for the first time in 14 months after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, held nothing back in their tributes to departing heroes Berardi and Pablo Hernández.

“It was very emotional,” Berardi said.

“It was starting to be sad already in the morning, but it was cool because, like I said before, it was my decision.

“I knew what I had to face, what I wanted to face. I knew what step I wanted to take for my future.

“So I took the day in the best way possible. And it was unbelievable - it was great feelings before, during and at the end of the game.

“An unforgettable day.”

You can watch Berardi’s interview in full by visiting The Square Ball website.Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.