Trevor Cherry and Leeds United legends made John Sheridan's Elland Road introduction 'unbelievable experience'

The midfielder, who went on to become an Elland Road fan favourite in the 80s, joined the club as a teenager in 1982 and made his debut alongside Cherry not long before the latter departed for Bradford City.

Cherry passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday at the age of 72 and Sheridan recalled an England international who made his introduction to the club, if only in training sessions before a first-team debut came along, an ‘unbelievable’ experience.

“He was just like a lot of players,” said Sheridan.

“I was only 17, 18 when I went to Leeds, coming from Manchester, knowing how good the Leeds team was, all the players.

“I was lucky enough to get in the team quite quickly through Eddie Gray.

“But even just training in and around players like Trevor, Kenny Burns, Frank Gray, Eddie, it was an unbelievable experience for someone who had just arrived.

“Players you’d watched over the years, players like Trevor who played for England.

“You were just in awe of most of the players because they were that good and he was one of them.

“Norman used to come in training with us and you’d think ‘Norman Hunter is training with me’ and he was training like he was playing in the FA Cup final, it was brilliant just to watch them.

“Top, top players.”

But despite their pedigree as Division One winners, internationals and players who had taken on the very best in Europe, Cherry and the senior players were on hand to offer advice to youngsters like Sheridan, sometimes whether he liked it or not.

“They had standards but they were approachable,” he said.

“When they had to tell you something, to improve you as a player, they told you.

“Sometimes you didn’t like it but you respected it because of what they’d done in the game.

“They were a massive part of young players going on and doing better things in the game.

“You could always go and speak to them, there was no big-headedness about them and they were such good players who had won trophies and played at a very high level for most of their careers.”

Sheridan is of the opinion that Cherry, who cost Leeds £100,000 in 1972 and spent a decade at Elland Road, maybe didn’t always get the acclaim his talent deserved.

“Trevor probably didn’t get recognised for how good he was,” said Sheridan.

“A good steady Eddie.

“You have to be top, top player to play over 400 games for Leeds United.

"It's a massive shock for everyone. A sad loss."