Rival supporters will be glad to see Leeds United back in the Premier League, according to former goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
The Whites have ended their long wait for a place back in the top tier and lifted the Championship trophy on Wednesday night.
Now that United have secured their return to the Premier League, 16 years of hurt for the club and their supporters, during which time they even found themselves as low as the third tier, have ended.
And Robinson knows only too well the pain the club’s fans have been through, having been on the pitch that day in 2004 when Leeds’ went down.
“It was a very, very sad day, but I think it was an inevitable day with the way things had gone in the past three or four seasons,” Robinson told Sky Sports’ The Football Show.
“I think that was a result of the financial crisis, the mismanagement which has been very well documented.
“At that point it was inevitable, the team was patched up with foreign loanees, players who weren’t good enough to play for the club, youngsters at the time.
“The mainstays of the team were me, Alan Smith and Mark Viduka, I think we were the ones that were left when the fire sale happened.
“It was a team that didn’t represent, or you wouldn’t recognise as a Leeds United team.
“Even though that was the case, you didn’t for one minute think they wouldn’t be in the Premier League for another 16 years, and to drop to the third tier of English football, there have been some dark days at Elland Road in recent times.
“Players, management, staff, everyone’s culpable for the way that things have happened there.
“But now, the last two seasons since Bielsa has come in, the hope has been rejuvenated, the spirit was rejuvenated.”
With Leeds having ended their long wait for a place back in the top tier, Robinson also believes some of their rivals will be looking forward to coming up against them once again – even if some of them might not admit it.
“The term ‘sleeping giant’ is far too overused in football in my opinion, but when you’re talking about a club like Leeds United it’s very apt and very fitting.
“The fan base they’ve got, the fans they travel with, around the world it would rival anyone. The Premier League will be a lot better place with Leeds United involved.
“It’s a much more attractive fixture. When you look at teams playing against Leeds United, people want to watch it, whether you love them or hate them.
“I think the rivalry teams have with Leeds, I think there are a lot of fans of other teams and neutral fans who will admit they’ve actually missed playing against Leeds United and seeing them in the top flight.”
