Leeds United Players
2003-04 Relegation Season
Barclaycard Premier League
Defenders

Gary Kelly Gary Kelly Defender, Midfielder - Right Squad Number: 2 International: Republic of Ireland full Our longest serving player. Had a new lease of life last season under when he frequently played right midfield. Many fans thought it was his best season for ages. Loyal and as committed to Leeds United as Alan Smith. Despite little difference in ages, he is the uncle to Leeds United's left-back, and fellow Irish international, Ian Harte.

Ian Harte Ian Harte Full Back - Left Squad Number: 3 International: Republic of Ireland full Ian is a nephew of Gary Kelly. Despite his relatively young age, Ian Harte is tenth in the all-time list of European appearances for Leeds United, bettered only by the career totals of players from the great Revie squad. A regular international with a devasting free-kick, Ian can be frustratingly inconsistent. He is acknowledged to lack pace and has come in for some criticism from Leeds supporters. However, playing behind "Dirty Harry" Kewell did him no favours as he was a lazy sod who couldn't be bothered to get back and help defend, and so Harte was frequently exposed to opposition counter-attacks down the left. Interesting that Ireland seem happy with his performances, where he doesn't have to play behind the Antipodean idle git. Harte's Leeds career may be nearing the end as Reid had agreed a season-long (03-04) loan to Portsmouth which only fell through on deadline day because the managers didn't understand the new complex rules governing loans between Premiership clubs. Meanwhile, Reid brought in left-sided player Didier Domi, plus Matteo is free to play on the left with 2 new central defenders also loaned-in, Camara and Roque Junior. Ian may be spending a lot of time playing in the stiffs this season. Update Summer 2004: Ian was transferred to Levante in La Liga, Spain.

The Chief Lucas Radebe Defender - central Squad Number: 1 International: South African full Signed by Howard Wilkinson for just £250,000 in 1994 Lucas went on to captain both club and Bafan Bafana, the South African national side. Tremendously loyal, a footballing icon and ambassador in his own country, Lucas has been plagued with knee injuries over the last two seasons. Last season under Venables he played at the end with crippling pain in his knees to save the club from relegation due to an inexplicable shortage of England international-class central defenders (Rio and Woodgate- where are they now? Answers on a postcard to Pillock Ridsdale, c/o Barnsley FC). It was so bad that after games he couldn't train or even walk up the stairs at his home! After surgery in the summer the problem hasn't completely gone away but the courageous man will see through the season. Peter Reid has brought in Camara and Roque Junior to central defence, so, after his heroics of last season, hopefully "The Chief" can take it easier this season and make cameo substitute appearances and play in some cup games. www.leedsutd365.co.uk verdict: great servant to the club, simply the best

Zoumana Camara Zoumana Camara Defender - Central Squad Number: 6 International: French full The first of Peter Reid's on-loan signings for the 2003-04 season. One year on-loan from RC Lens with an option to purchase at the end of the period. Scored his debut goal against Middlesborough, away, on Saturday 29th August, 2003. The same game Danny Mills made his debut for Boro!! Zoumana's goal was a powerful header from a corner and equalised the score at 2-2. Leeds went on to win 2-3. Zoumana was born on 4th March, 1979 in Colombes, France and is 6' 0" tall. He started at St Etienne, quickly moved to Inter Milan but he made no starts and returned to France and RC Lens via Empoli, Bastia and Olympique Marseille. A regular under Peter Reid he was dropped by caretaker manager Eddie Gray immediately. Gray preferring even Duberry to Camara! In Jan he was one of two players who refused to sign a release form ending early the one season loan period. The decision to try and end the loan made more from financial necessity than by bad performances. 3rd Sept, 2003

"Rocky" Jose Vitor Roque Junior Defender - Left/Central Squad Number: 12 International: Brazil full World Cup Winner One season loan-in from AC Milan from 1st September 2003. Champions League Winner 2002-03 with AC Milan when they beat Juventus on penalties at Old Trafford. Oh, and he also won the World Cup! He is the first Brazilian to play for Leeds United. Made his debut for Leeds in the 0-4 away defeat at Leicester City. In a decidedly "Rocky" performance he was booked and never seemed with the pace of the game. To be fair, after signing for Leeds he went across the world to S America and played two games for Brazil. He then spent all of three days with his new colleagues upon his return before embarking on the dodgy Leicester performance! Nevertheless most Leeds fans felt let down. Roque was sent off in his next game for Leeds, a 2-0 defeat by Birmingham; after struggling to beat 10-men 2nd Division Swindon on penalties in the Carling Cup, we were then thrashed 0-4 by Everton! In the next game during which he was banned we beat Blackburn 2-1 in a performance that could have seen another four goals from Leeds. 8th Oct, 2003: In light of the above Roque's future at Leeds is very much in the balance. There can be no auto place for him just because of his playing history. All that counts is his current performance and he is very much out of touch at the moment. Updated 8th Oct, 2003 28th Jan 2004: Roque Junior's loan is terminated and he moves to Siena in Italy. Few Leeds fans will be sorry to see him go. Our worst performances were largely with him in the team. Amazing to say that about a defender that scored twice against Man Utd (Carling Cup).

Dominic Matteo Dominic Matteo Defender/Midfielder - Centre/Left Squad Number: 21 International: Scotland full Dominic moved from Liverpool to Elland Road just before the 2000-01 season for £4.25 million. His move was overshadowed by that of Viduka and Dacourt, and made noteworthy only because he was injured at the time and Leeds took a chance. The knee injury has dogged him throughout his Leeds career. His debut presaged great things as it was made in the 1-0 victory over AC Milan at home, in the Champions League. He was to score his first goal the following week when we stuffed the Turks of Besiktas 6-0. Dominic regularly partnered Rio Weirdinand at the centre of our defence, but he has also played midfield and left full-back. Terry Venables gave Dominic Matteo the Captain's armband after Rio Ferdinard jumped ship for the more lucrative financial waters of Manchester United. At the end of the season, like Lucas Radebe, he played through considerable pain in his knee to keep Leeds United out of a relegation spot. An operation in the summer of 2003 has hopefully cleared up his long standing knee problem. Dom gave up his international career lst season in a bid to extend his domestic career. Although selected for the full England squad several times, Dom choose to play for Scotland where he was born, in Dumfries on 28th April, 1974. He was also eligble to play for Italy through his grandparents! 4th Sept, 2003

Dubes Michael Duberry Defender Central Squad Number: 22 International:England U-21 Duberry signed from Chelsea for £4 million. O'Leary never really gave him a chance and Venables didn't use him much either. Obviously he's had a professionally difficult time at Leeds. Off the field he got embroiled in the Najeib, Bowyer, Woodgate court-case by doing them a favour and giving them a lift back to his house after the incident. Duberry was criticised by Woodgate for telling the truth at the second trial as a witness for the prosecution. Some knuckle-draggers in the Leeds crowd blamed him Duberry for this! It didn't help when drama-queen Woodgate said to Dubes, dramatically, "You've killed me!" Wanker. Duberry, announced in the summer of 2002 that he wanted to leave for first team fooball but he's still here. He played in most of the 03-04 pre-season games under Peter Reid and best friend Jody Morris signed for Leeds. Things were looking up for Dubes and it seemed like Reid would give him his chance - and then bad luck and irony hit Duberry in the face and broke a cheekbone and was sidelined for eight weeks. The culprit? Angel. Playing for David O'Leary's new side Aston Villa in the Dublin pre-season tournament. That bastard O'Leary just won't stop blighting Duberry's life! Of course, it seems like Duberry has again missed his chance as Reid had to bring in central defensive cover in the form of World Cup winner Roque Junior and French international Zoumana Camara, who is already winning plaudits and scored his first goal for Leeds. Unlucky Duberry loses out again. 3th Sept, 2003 End of 03-04 Update: Well, Duberry got his chance after Eddie Gray sent Roque Junior packing. He made a number of vital goaline clearances, won a number of penalties and even scored. He was often seen in the final minutes of games pushing forward as a makeshift attacker. One cannot blame him for lack of effort but sadly Michael really wasn't in the class of the men he replaced. Now highly paid we need to shift him as we cannot afford his wages in the First Division.

Didier Domi Didier Domi Defender - Midfielder - Left Squad Number: 29 International: French U-21 5th August, 2003, signed on a one year loan deal from Paris St Germain. We have the option to make the move permanent for £2,000,000. Domi made his Premiership mark with Newcastle where he left after a public falling-out with Sir Robbly Bobson. He cost the Barcodes £4,000,000 but moved back to PSG for £3,000,000 in January 2001. Domi was accepted to be a left-sided, pacy tough tackler and Sir Robbly Bobson didn't really want to lose him. Didier was born on May 2nd, 1978 in Sarcelles. At 5ft 10inches he's not tall by modern standards for a defender. During his time in France he won Le Championnait and the FA cup with PSG and also played in the Cup Winners' Cup final against Barcelona. Experience, pace, determination and most importantly, a winner. Update: Sadly for Leeds after a battle to get match-fit he hasn't featured under caretaker manager Eddie Gray. In Jan 2004 he refused to sign a release form ending his loan period at Elland Road. Though French side Bastia are rumoured to be interested in taking him. Update: Gray played Domi in Feb against Wolves when we won 4-1 at Elland Road after a demoralising run of defeats since December. He played against Man Utd at Old Trafford and made the lovely cross from the left into the box from which Alan Smith despatched the equaliser. Final score 1-1. Domi may yet have a part to play in the survival of Leeds. Update: Domi provides an attacking option and plays a part in a mini-revival by Leeds. But an injury ends his run and the mini-revival by Leeds. It is just a shame he took so long to get his act together for Leeds otherwise it could have been very different season for both player and club.

Frazer Richardson Frazer Richardson Full Back - Right Squad Number: 34 International: England U-20 Frazer is a future United right-back as he continues to understudy Republic of Ireland, international Gary Kelly. His job has been made easier by the departure of Danny Mills to Middlesborough on a season-long loan "I was glad to see the back of the treacherous, bald bastard," said Frazer bluntly. (Nah, he didn't, only kiddin'). Despite being born in Rotherham, Frazer Richardson is a lifelong Leeds fan who has emerged through the Leeds United Academy ranks to become an established youth international. He was rewarded with a four-year contract which he signed in the summer of 2002. But he had to wait another season for his debut which cam in August 2003, when he came on as a substitute against Southampton in the 0-0 draw, at Elland Road. I've heard the comment that he's a bit one-footed, but he's young enough to overcome that and anyway, it hasn't done Saint Michael of Owen any harm has it?