Leeds have progressed to the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup after knocking out League 1 side Crewe Alexandra last night with a 3-0 victory, courtesy of goals from Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison.
But there was a standing ovation in the 89th minute as former Leeds midfielder Luke Murphy was substituted for Regan Griffiths. Murphy signed for Leeds in 2013 from Crewe, and went on to make 103 Championship appearances over 5 years at the club, although he did spend the final 18 months on loan at Burton Albion.
But Murphy has retained nothing but affection for Leeds United. “There’s not many in the Premier League…bigger than Leeds.” He then tried to convince his more inexperienced teammates to enjoy the atmosphere of a packed-out Elland Road. “Embrace it, soak it up…These occasions don’t come around very often.”
He recognises how incredible the atmosphere in Elland Road is and commented that “with a full house, I’m not sure you’ll find a better atmosphere.” Murphy goes on to describe the atmosphere as ‘special’ and it’s clear he still holds a lot of affection for Leeds United.
Murphy won’t have been happy to have lost 3-0 and have been eliminated from the cup, but he will have appreciated the Leeds fans giving him a standing ovation as he left the Elland Road pitch one more time.
