The 2014/15 season was a miserable one for Leeds United supporters, who watched their side stutter to a 15th-placed finish in the Championship and have three different managers at the helm. It was the chaotic first campaign under controversial owner Massimo Cellino but on 6 April 2015, there was optimism.
Leeds visited Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers and Neil Redfearn, promoted from the youth ranks to charge of first-team affairs, gave supporters a glimpse into the future. In a 4-1-4-1, both of his advanced central midfielders and both of his wingers were products of the academy, and one was featuring at senior level for the very first time - Kalvin Phillips.
Alongside Alex Mowatt and whilst being flanked by Sam Byram and Charlie Taylor, he delivered an energetic performance in a 4-3 defeat which may not have had supporters dreaming of him playing a starring role for England, but certainly gave them enough reason to believe he had a future at Leeds.
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Lewis Cook did not feature that day but was also generating excitement at the time, although fears over losing their coveted young assets were tangible in the stands at Elland Road. Seven years on, Phillips is the only one out of the five still on the Whites books.
On that day, he was arguably the one generating the least buzz and receiving the least attention, but he has undoubtedly been the greatest success. He has gone on to make another 226 appearances for the club he supported as a boy and was crucial for England as they marched into the final of Euro 2020.
LeedsLive have taken a trip down memory lane, looking back upon the players that lined up alongside Phillips on his first-team debut.
Marco Silvestri
The goalkeeper was an adept shot stopper during his time in West Yorkshire, although often struggled to command his area and consequently drew the ire of some supporters. He lost his number one spot to Robert Green when Garry Monk took charge in 2016 after and after a season spent as an understudy, he returned to Italy to join Hellas Verona.
His performances in Serie A earned him a call-up to the Italy squad in October 2020 and in July 2021, he secured a move to Udinese and established himself as their first-choice goalkeeper.
Scott Wootton
It never worked out for Wootton at Elland Road and he is best remembered by most for his errors. He has since represented Milton Keynes Dons, Plymouth Argyle, Wigan Athletic and Morecambe, and now plies his trade in Australia with Wellington Phoenix.
Sol Bamba
Bamba left in 2016 and linked up with Cardiff City, who he became a regular for and helped secure promotion to the Premier League in 2018. He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma during his time in Wales but announced he was free of the illness in May 2021 and has since returned to football. The defender now represents Middlesbrough, having reunited with his former Cardiff boss Neil Warnock at the Riverside.
Liam Cooper
Cooper and Phillips are the only players who started on that day at Molineux that are still contracted to the club. He helped the Whites seal promotion to the Premier League in 2020 as captain and now has 41 top flight appearances for the Whites to his name.
Gaetano Berardi
His aggression never cooled but it did become more controlled and the defender became a favourite among supporters until his exit last year. He now plies his trade back in his native Switzerland with FC Sion.
Luke Murphy
Leeds plucked Murphy from Crewe Alexandra in 2013 and he is now back where it all started. The midfielder spent two years with Bolton Wanderers before sealing a return to the Railywaymen, who came up against the Whites in the Carabao Cup in the early stages of the current campaign.
Sam Byram
Byram seemingly had the world at his feet when he was standing out as a teenager for Leeds, but injuries have taken their toll and slowed his progress. He struggled for game time at West Ham United and a switch to Norwich City in 2019 looked to be the fresh start he needed, but fitness issues plagued him and he has managed just 30 outings for the Canaries.
Kalvin Phillips
Nobody has gone on to enjoy the level of success Phillips has. He has been linked with some of Europe's elite clubs and when fit, is absolutely crucial to the Leeds midfield. Bielsa helped mould the homegrown midfielder into a player capable of going toe-to-toe with the best the continent has to offer and Leeds supporters will be desperate for him to stay this summer.
Alex Mowatt
Mowatt lost his way at Leeds and fell down the pecking order, before initially struggling to make much of an impact at Barnsley. A loan move to Oxford United suggested his days in the Championship were behind him but he bounced back to become club captain at Oakwell.
He starred as the Reds made a surprise surge into the second tier play-offs last year before sealing a move to West Bromwich Albion, who he currently represents.
Charlie Taylor
Although he operated on the wing at Molineux, Taylor has made his name as a tough-tackling yet composed left-back in the Premier League. He left Leeds for Burnley in 2017 despite handing in a transfer request during the previous year and has since become one of Sean Dyche's trusted lieutenants.
Mirco Antenucci
Undeniably talented, sometimes mesmerising but often frustrating, Antenucci was a mercurial talent. He moved to SPAL after leaving Leeds before signing for Bari in 2019. At 37, he is still finding the back of the net and has registered 17 goals in Serie C Group C this season.
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