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Elliott Jackson

Inside Leeds United's class of 2001 and the trait that inspired Champions League success

Former Leeds United defender Michael Duberry has lifted the lid on the camaraderie within the team that reached the 2001 Champions League semi-finals.

The Whites defied the odds and reached the last four of Europe's biggest club competition under the guidance of David O'Leary.

It was a squad brimming with talent, including households names such as Rio Ferdinand, Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Robbie Fowler all part of the same squad competing for places in the starting XI.

Whilst the talent within that Leeds group was incomparable in the club's recent history, Dubbery opened up on how tight-knit the group was, which helped spur their success.

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"When I went to Leeds, the first training session, when you know someone is good but it's different playing up close and personal against them," Duberry told Sky Sports.

"First session, Alan Smith 'bang', pins me. Smithy is 18 and he's rolling me, I was like 'oh my god'. Harry Kewell, Lee Bowyer, all of sudden Dave Batty comes back, Steve McPhail, one of the best-left foots ever.

"Danny Mills, Gary Kelly. Mark Viduka, Robbie Fowler, Alan Smith, Darren Huckerby, as a defender, every training session was a match day.

"At the back, we had Rio (Ferdinand), Dominic Matteo, Lucas Radebe, Jonathan Woodgate, Ian Harte. Training session were so intense, with Nigel Martin and Paul Robinson at either end. The standard was unbelievable.

"The squad was unbelievable, everyone was good mates. Everyone would get there an hour early and hang around.

"Everyone's Mrs would think training finished at 5. We'd finish training and everyone would go for lunch. We'd be out with the whole squad going to an Italian for something to eat, joking around.

"We might go into town, with 28 of us. There was such a togetherness, the gel was brilliant."

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