Tony Yeboah: Fans memories of a goal machine

Tony Yeboah enjoys cult hero status among the Elland Road faithful thanks to a vast array of explosive goals during his time in LS11.

He arrived at United in January 1995 for a club record £3.4m from Eintracht Frankfurt and proved to be worth every penny during his whirlwind spell which seemed to be over almost as soon as it began.

“I’d never actually seen him play but I watched him a lot on Eurosport,” said manager Howard Wilkinson a few months after completing the transfer, “I remember thinking ‘Christ, what a player!’”

When Yeboah rocked up mid-season bagged his first goal in United colours with virtually his first touch in a 3-1 FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford and three days later, he made his first start and scored the only goal in a home win over Everton.

It was a sign of things to come with Yeboah finishing as the Whites top scorer - plundering 13 goals in 16 starts - and helped fire them into the UEFA Cup.

Spectacular was the Yeboah byword and the question remains where do you start? He produced two of the most iconic strikes the club has ever seen within a month of each other - against Liverpool at Elland Road in front of the Sky TV cameras and at Selhurst Park

And his time with Leeds also included three hat-tricks - against Monaco in the UEFA Cup, Wimbledon at Selhurst Park and Ipswich Town at Elland Road, the latter of which prompted Sgt Wilko to describe him as 'world class'.

Your YEP has asked the Elland Road to share a memories of the Ghanaian goalscorer who was voted Player of the Year in his second season with the club.

Responses included:

Superfatlaces&socks (@Superfatlaces) - "It's got the be the Liverpool game. I remember Yeboah scoring that beauty off the crossbar, and Me, my dad and my grandad all jumped up with joy! It was the only game I remember watching with both of them and I will never forget it."

Richard Petty9 (@Rpelufc) - “That goal” v Liverpool. It turned out to be my dad’s last live game. He started taking me in 1965 and I took him to that game. Sat in the West stand shouting all the wrong names. Two pints on the way home and a telling off from mum for not eating his tea. Thankyou Tony Yeboah."

alan miller25 (@AlanMiller25) - "That hat-trick away in Monaco. Brilliant away trip with the lads."

lufcmac (@XYA8NR7TR2MUoJ1) - "His hattrick against Monaco. Outstanding. And I was there."

Bielsa for Premier (@aclr1972)·- "THAT goal vs Liverpool with his 'weaker' foot."

David Gillespie - "Hard to find anyone better to be honest."

Richard Brown - "Monaco away spent eight hours on a train from Lloret de Mar. What a few days that was."

Dan Beavers Boyle - "A Bielsa fit Yeboah in this team would score 30+ goals with ease."

Richard Johnston - "He was on a different level on his day. Total class."

James Wood - "Absolutely amazing. Capable of things not many could match."

Oliver Whyman - "Amazing player, he was the first player I had on the back of my shirt."

Nick Reynolds - "Insane. Absolutely unplayable at times."

Dilip Khednah - "Words cannot describe how good he was wearing the Leeds United shirt. He was a touch of magic in some ways."

John Irons - "Very good player. Strong and could hold the ball up and bring other players into the action. Also had a tremendous shot."

Richard Jones - "As magic as being three quarters of the way up the kop right behind the goal when THAT goal flew in! What a memory!"

Richard Bogdan - "He was class! Out of this world! One of Leeds’ finest! A legend."

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

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'll see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe