Ex Leeds United man recalls experience of 'explosive' Ronaldo and 'exceptional' Tony Yeboah

The former Whites defender, who spent four years at Elland Road, reminisced about the highlights and lowlights of his playing career in an interview with our sister title the Derbyshire Times.Now manager of Chesterfield in the National League, Pemberton started out at Manchester United before spells with Crewe, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Leeds, where a serious injury derailed his playing days.

Looking back on his time as a player, Pemberton reflects on some his ex Elland Road team-mates as those who stood out as the most talented, with Tony Yeboah among the very best.

"I would say the biggest standout players was when I went to Leeds United," he said.

“You are talking about good professionals like Gordan Strachan, Gary Speed and David O’Leary.

“Tony Yeboah would be up there as one of the best players I have played with, he was just exceptional."

Pemberton had to defend against some incredible talents too, facing the likes of Alan Shearer, his old Palace team-mate Ian Wright and Jurgen Klinsmann.

But Brazilian international superstar Ronaldo, who featured in the 1995/96 season UEFA Cup second round clash between Leeds and PSV was 'something else' says Pemberton.

The feared striker missed the first game, which PSV won 5-3, but featured in the second leg, a comfortable 3-0 win for the Dutch side with two goals from Philip Cocu and a Pemberton own goal easing them through. Ronaldo would go on to tear up top level defences at international, European and domestic level, starring for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Corinthians, scoring 62 goals in 98 games for Brazil

“I played against Ronaldo for Leeds in Europe when he was at PSV and I have got his shirt," said Pemberton.

"He was just on another level. We played them home and away in the UEFA Cup. I played centre-half and he was just something else. He wasn’t one of those players who would just run around all game, his runs were just quick and explosive but he was economical with them. Klinsmann was someone who ran everywhere but Ronaldo wasn’t. He would just walk and then explode."

Pemberton, who remembers Howard Wilkinson as 'extremely professional and tactically very good' suffered the lowest point of his career as a Leeds player.

An injury at Chelsea in 1996 meant he never played for the club again and, despite an attempted comeback with Crewe Alexandra and two more appearances as a professional, he had to retire.

“I was playing in the Premiership at 33 with Leeds United and I smashed my knee and I never played again and that was me done and I was not ready to retire," he said.

"I found that so difficult. My head was not ready to retire but my body could just not do it.

“Me and Mark Hughes went in for a tackle and we just got caught up and my leg got stick between us and it just twisted the other way round and it ripped a chunk out of my bone which they said was like the size of a 10p.

“I had to have eight operations but I just never recovered from it and I ended up having a full knee replacement in 2016. It was the best thing I ever had, it completely changed my life. It had got to the stage where I could not walk and could not sleep at night.

“It was my biggest disappointment because I used to love training. I was such a fit guy and to have it wiped away because of an injury, psychologically and mentally that was the toughest time in football definitely."

Since retirement Pemberton has coached at Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Bristol City and managed both Kidderminster Harriers and Chesterfield, where he replaced another ex Leeds man, John Sheridan.