Former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has a special place in the fanbase’s heart, considering how he transformed the squad during his tenure. Moreover, one former veteran looked back at his ex-manager and credited him with all the team’s success, which led to a Premier League promotion.
Bielsa positively affected many players during his tenure at Elland Road, whether on the first team or in the youth system. A recent story surfaced of how the Argentine boss laid the seeds to help former Leeds standout Archie Gray,
Archie’s father, Andy Gray, reminisced about how former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa played a crucial role in shaping Archie’s development, setting him up to succeed at such a young age. Andy mentioned that it all started when Bielsa had no choice but to put Archie on the bench due to 10 first-team players being unavailable.
“He was 14 or 15, I think he had a bit of a growth spurt during that time,” Andy told Sky Sports. “Then, when he came back in, he’d grown a lot physically. That’s when Bielsa put him into training with the first team. Things kicked on really quickly from then…
“Experiencing that as your first manager when you’re 15 years old, the intensity of his training and how he worked was an unbelievable thing for the rest of his career. He looks back on that now fondly, because it was tough, but it was all that he ever knew at the time. Those murder ball sessions, that was his first experience of professional football. Anything else after that is probably a little bit easier.”
Liam Cooper praises Marcelo Bielsa
Despite leaving this past summer, Liam Cooper continues to look back at his 11-year tenure with Leeds. The former player recalled Bielsa’s five-year tenure. Cooper made 118 appearances under Bielsa during that time and acknowledged it as the most memorable period of his career.
“The promotion we got to the Premier League was certainly very special,” Cooper told Efbet. “The match in which I led the team with the captain’s armband in the first game in the elite was also great for me. I still keep the shirt. I can single out Marcelo Bielsa.
“We didn’t develop before him, and in six months, he changed the understanding and culture in the club. He made the players believe and changed our way of thinking. Every day we were like a family. I am proud of what we have achieved.”
