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There's life after Leeds United.

8 forgotten Leeds academy graduates who became cult heroes elsewhere

Leeds United’s academy has produced some exceptional footballers over the years. But not all of them make it at Elland Road and many go on to enjoy fine careers elsewhere.

Former Leeds starlets including Lewis Cook and Archie Gray are now established Premier League players, while the likes of Jonathan Howson, Alex Mowatt and Charlie Taylor have done alright for themselves over the years. But what about those who’ve dropped off the radar?

Here are eight forgotten Leeds academy graduates who have become cult heroes elsewhere.

Elia Caprile

Leeds signed Caprile as a little-known prospect from Chievo back in 2020. He developed his skills in the youth ranks for a year before returning to Italy on a loan to third-tier Pro Patria.

Given he never made a senior appearance under Marcelo Bielsa, his permanent move to fallen giants Bari garnered little attention.

At Bari he established himself as one of the most promising young ‘keepers in Europe, with some excellent performances in Serie B as they finished third and narrowly missed out on promotion.

Napoli saw enough to sign him in 2023 and he’s made four Serie A appearances this season for Antonio Conte’s title-chasers before his recent loan out to Cagliari.

Don’t be surprised if he makes himself a fan favourite there, too.

Tom Cairney

Now we’re going back a bit. It’s all too easy to forget that Cairney is a Leeds academy graduate, given he’s spent his entire senior career elsewhere after departing as a youngster in 2007.

“They were producing the likes of Alan Smith, James Milner, Aaron Lennon. They were the poster boys at the time”, Cairney said on The Joy of Football podcast.

“It was an amazing time to be at Leeds, to be honest with you. They were in the Champions League, do you remember the time with Rio Ferdinand, Mark Viduka, Kewell, [and] Lee Bowyer?

“They were really happy memories.”

The 34-year-old midfielder is now into his 10th season with Fulham, where he serves as club captain. He’s made well over 300 appearances and has been a key figure in their rise under Marco Silva.

He’s out of contract in the summer but he’ll surely receive a hero’s goodbye if it proves the end of the road.

Lewie Coyle

The full-back only ever made a small handful of appearances for his boyhood club, but strangely enough he racked up well over a hundred games in a series of loans at Fleetwood Town.

The Fishermen finally signed him on a permanent deal in 2020, but six months later he departed for Hull City – where he’s once again made himself an ever-present stalwart, making himself particularly popular on Humberside with a starring role in their 2020-21 promotion from League One.

Lewis Bate

You can argue the toss with this one, given that Bate was poached from Chelsea’s academy. But he did spend time developing in Leeds’ under-23s.

It’s early days to be declaring the youngster a cult hero anywhere, but his debut season with League One Stockport County – where he’s instantly been made club captain – has plenty of promise.

Dave Challinor’s Hatters look well-placed for a play-off spot. It would be a ridiculous achievement if Bate could captain them up to the Championship at the age of 22.


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Clarke Oduor

On the one hand, Oduor’s stats at Barnsley aren’t anything to write home about. The midfielder notched just one goal and two assists in 57 appearances, and nowadays he’s turning out for fellow Yorkshire outfit Bradford City in League Two.

But football is all about moments, and his one goal for the club was a last-gasp match-winner against Brentford that sealed their Championship survival at the very end of the 2019-20 season.

That one goal alone ensures he’ll never have to buy a pint in Barnsley for as long as he lives.

mirco antenucci (spal) during Perugia vs Spal, Italian football Serie C match in Perugia, Italy, August 30 2024 Credit: Independent Photo Agency Srl/Alamy Live News

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Mateusz Bogusz

From Barnsley to Los Angeles. Football is a rich tapestry, isn’t it?

Leeds legend Mateusz Klich once declared that his namesake and Polish compatriot would be better than him one day.

The jury remains out on that, but Bogusz has certainly done alright for himself since leaving Leeds.

After two years on loan in Ibiza (alright for some), the attacking midfielder joined LAFC, where he scored 18 MLS goals across two full seasons and made a name for himself as one of the top young players out there.

“Decisions like this are never easy,” said LAFC general manager John Thorringto following the recent announcement of his big money sale to Mexican side Cruz Azul.

“Mati joined us as a young player with incredible potential, and it’s been a pleasure to see his growth.”

Ryan Edmondson

There was a period amid one of Patrick Bamford’s barren spells in front of goal that many in the Leeds fanbase wanted to see Edmondson get a run in the team, given how prolific he was in the youth ranks.

The rangy striker has admittedly shown little in subsequent loans and spells at Aberdeen, Northampton, Fleetwood or Port Vale to suggest he was at the level Leeds needed.

But he has found his feet after linking up with former Leeds youth coach Mark Jackson out in Australia.

Edmondson’s first season with the Central Coast Mariners saw him lift three trophies, including the A-League title. Not bad going, that.

Rafa Mujica

Another youth prospect on the periphery during the Bielsa era, the striker struggled to score goals in a series of loans back in Spain.

He eventually moved back to boyhood club Las Palmas but he only notched once in the Spanish Segunda Division, suggesting a low-key career in the lower leagues was his destiny.

He suddenly caught fire after moving to lesser-known Portuguese side Arouca in 2023.

Last season he even scored 20 goals in the Primeira Liga, firing them to a respectable seventh-place finish and ending up third (behind Victor Gyokeres and Simon Banza) in the Golden Boot rankings.

Qatari side Al-Sadd paid €10million for his services in the summer and he’s continued banging in the goals there.