Leeds United throwback - David O'Leary's Elland Road adventure comes to an end

The date...

June 27, 2002

The event...

David O'Leary sacked by Leeds United

What happened?

18 years ago this Saturday, former Whites manager David O'Leary was relieved of his duties in West Yorkshire following four seasons as manager.

The club initially announced that the Irishman had left by mutual consent, before O'Leary hit back revealing he had been in fact been sacked by the board at Elland Road.

United had slipped from the top of the Premiership to a fifth-placed finish and missed out on Champions League football.

A war of words followed, with chairman Peter Ridsdale citing O'Leary's book Leeds United On Trial as a factor amid claims he had lost the dressing room.

The former Arsenal defender had promoted the likes of Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell, Stephen McPhail, Eirik Bakke and Ian Harte during his time.

Whilst also landing the signatures of Danny Mills and Rio Ferdinand. He fused them together with experienced pros such as Lucas Radebe, Nigel Martyn and Gary Kelly, which saw United flirt with the pinnacle of domestic and European football throughout his tenure.

Following his sacking, United's decline began both on and off the pitch, with O'Leary's spending upwards of the £100million mark.

Leeds saw three managers come and go from the Elland Road dug-out in the two seasons that followed, before the club was relegated to the Championship in the 2003-04 season.