Former Leeds United goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has revealed his secret to coping with the pressure of playing at Elland Road.
Martyn had a seven-year stint with the Whites from 1996 until 2003, where he then joined Everton, where he eventually finished his career in 2006.
Playing at a big club like Leeds can often see players struggle to adapt to the pressure, but Martyn has revealed how he dealt with the added expectancy of putting on the famous Leeds shirt.
When asked by Leeds United’s official website what it is like to play at Elland Road, Martyn replied: “Yes, really good. It’s very important when there are 40,000 people there demanding a win.
“I tried to simplify it as much as I could, by just trying my best every single time I played. It wasn’t always good enough as is often the case, but on other occasions, it was.
“I think that’s all you can ask of anyone is to give your best every time you play.”
Martyn highlighted the importance of trying your best every time you put on the Leeds shirt with the supporters paying a lot of money to go to every game.
“I think when you know that supporters travel to games, spend a lot of money on season tickets and match tickets and when you play games at the other side of Europe and there are still Leeds fans turning up, you’ve got the responsibility to give them a performance,” added Martyn.
“Like I said, it doesn’t always guarantee the result, but I think the effort and performance has got to be there. If you give your best, that’s all the supporters want to see.”
