The Leeds United squad of the 2019/20 season will always be remembered for getting the club promoted to the Premier League after a 16-year wait.
Those players will go down as heroes and legends at the club, and Marcelo Bielsa has remained a cult hero for masterminding that promotion season.
None of the players from that squad is at Elland Road anymore, and several careers have derailed since then. But they remain a special bunch for supporters because of what they did.
Gaetano Berardi was at Leeds for a few years and played on teams that struggled as a mid-table Championship side before playing a small part in the club’s promotion season.
Read More: Where are Leeds United’s 2019/20 promotion-winning heroes now?
Leeds promotion hero opens door to Elland Road return
Gaetano Berardi struggled with injury at Leeds, but he won over supporters with his grit, determination and passion on the pitch.
He left Leeds in 2021 as a free agent, but the defender remains a fondly remembered ex-player for a large section of supporters.
Berardi has insisted that Leeds are still very much close to his heart and conceded that he is ready to experience something new in his coaching career.
The defender stressed that if Leeds want him back as coach, he would be happy to return to Elland Road at some point in the future.
“Leeds is still here [pointed towards his heart]”, Berardi said on The Leeds View podcast.
“Maybe I am open to trying a new experience, away from Italy and Switzerland.
“Of course, if one day Leeds calls, I’ll answer.”
Berardi is a cult hero from that era of Leeds
Gaetano Berardi will always have a special place in Leeds United history. Signed from Sampdoria in 2014, the Swiss defender spent seven seasons at Elland Road and made 155 appearances for the club.
A naturally aggressive full-back, Berardi became a firm fan favourite for his commitment, passion and willingness to put his body on the line. Under Marcelo Bielsa, he was converted into a centre-back and proved remarkably adaptable, even after suffering a serious hamstring injury in 2018/19.
His defining moment came in 2019/20. Berardi played 22 league games as Leeds finally ended their 16-year exile from the Premier League, contributing to the side that won the Championship title by 10 points.
An ACL injury kept him out for most of Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League, but he made his top flight debut in May 2021 before the club released him.
I am comfortable with the nostalgia but at 38 there is no realistic prospect of a return in any playing activity.
It says to come back as a coach.