Former Leeds United defender Jonathan Woodgate has opened up on how he felt when he left the club for Newcastle United in 2003.
Woodgate was apart of a mass exodus at Elland Road as the Whites attempted to combat a dire financial situation that had been brought upon by excessive spending in the years prior.
After joining the club as a 16-year-old in 1996, Woodgate established himself as one of the best centre backs in the Premier League during his time at Leeds.
He played a big role in helping Leeds secure four successive finishes in top five league finishes, as well as a Champions League semi-final in the 2000/01 season.
But Leeds’ success on the field came at a cost off it. Ultimately, chairman Peter Ridsdale had spent money way beyond his means and David O’Leary’s side was decimated in a matter of months.
In the space of just a year, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane, Lee Bowyer, Robbie Fowler, Woodgate, Harry Kewell, Olivier Dacourt and Nigel Martyn were all sold.
In an interview with the Times, Woodgate revealed that he was reduced to tears upon his departure from the Whites but knew it had to be done in order to preserve the club’s long-term future.
He said: “I was crying leaving the training ground because I didn’t want to go — I was absolutely devastated.
“Not because Newcastle wasn’t a top club. It is; they had players like Alan Shearer, Gary Speed, Laurent Robert, Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Jermaine Jenas.
“Sir Bobby Robson was manager, but I was happy at Leeds. I loved the club, and it was like a family to me.
“They said, ‘You have to go, otherwise the club’s f***ed, basically,’ and could go into liquidation.”
Woodgate played a major part in Leeds’ best era since English football’s reform in 1992.
However, ultimately, their quality on the pitch did not lead to any trophies. O’Leary’s side never really got close in any of the domestic cups, while the semi-finals of the Champions League was their best showing in Europe.
They also topped the Premier League on New Years’ Day in 2002 but failed to last the pace.
And Woodgate admitted their lack of tangible success given the team that Leeds had built is his biggest regret from his time at the club.
He said: “I was single-minded and would think, ‘I want to be the best player on the pitch.’”
“That team we had at Leeds was unbelievable and the big regret is that we didn’t win anything.
“If we had kept all the players, I think we would have. But we didn’t. And you can’t go down as a top team unless you win something.”
