How Leeds United legend and 'world's greatest winger' helped Whites announce top flight title credentials

Gordon Strachan was the ‘world’s greatest winger’ according to Ron Atkinson and even at the age of 34 the Scot was bossing top-flight games.
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The Leeds United legend signed for the club in March 1989 and led them to the next season’s Second Division title.

By November 1991 Leeds had announced their credentials as Division One title hopefuls with a 4-1 beating of Atkinson’s Aston Villa.

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Tony Dorigo got the man of the match award against his former club and he was superb, but so too was Strachan.

This was his 702nd career appearance in club football but he played with the enthusiasm and energy of a rookie.

His craft, skill and awareness allowed him to have a hand in all four of the goals Howard Wilkinson’s men scored.

It was a performance that left ITV commentator Gary Lineker questioning the source of the midfielder’s energy.

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The Sunday, November 24 televised game was played on a dreadful playing surface, a far cry from the carpets of the modern-day Premier League and, for almost an entire half, the game lacked the quality punters had come to expect from the stars on display.

Gordon Strachan led Leeds United to a top flight title (Pic: Getty)Gordon Strachan led Leeds United to a top flight title (Pic: Getty)
Gordon Strachan led Leeds United to a top flight title (Pic: Getty)

Villa boasted Steve Staunton, signed from Liverpool for £1.1m, the outstanding Paul McGrath and the pacey, tricky trio of Tony Daley, Dwight Yorke and Dalian Atkinson.

Leeds had Dorigo and Mel Sterland bombing down the flanks from full-back, while Strachan played alongside Gary McAllister and David Batty.

A win would put Leeds back on top of the league and they took control when Strachan took advantage of a Staunton slip to win a throw. Sterland threw it to Strachan, he passed it back and the full-back’s cross was headed goalward by Lee Chapman, Rod Wallace forcing it home.

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In the opening minute of the second half Strachan ran in behind to force a corner, sent the set-piece into the area and Chris Whyte’s flick-on was headed home by Sterland.

The third was all Strachan.

He was on the move after quickly taking another corner, this time to McAllister, before changing the angle of his run to receive possession again, cutting back towards the byline and drilling it across the face of goal to gift Chapman his first.

“And now you’re going to believe us, we’re gonna win the league,” sang the away fans, correctly predicting who would top the table come the end of the season.

In an intensely physical game that saw bone-jarring challenges all over the park with little or no fuss from the recipients, the diminutive Strachan never looked remotely lightweight.

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When Yorke scored to give Villa hope, Strachan calmed things down, organised, chided Fairclough to stick with Daley. He tracked back to halt Staunton, he raced towards his own goal to deny Daley and then sprinted forward, almost grabbing a goal of his own.

His desperation to win was relentless and he showed Villa no mercy, bursting forward to feed Sterland who crossed, a Chapman flying header adding the exclamation mark.

“I am very, very proud, not only of the fact that we’ve got back to the top, but the way we did it,” he said. “The image of this club means a lot to me and to turn on a performance like that in front of millions of viewers was tremendous.”

His own performance was so good the losing manager enjoyed it.

“I call him the world’s greatest winger and I’ve got all the time for the little man,” said Atkinson.

“With all his craft, his enthusiasm, it was magnificent to see.”

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