After academy grauate Lewis Cook’s recent call-up, who was the last Leeds United player to play for England.
Lewis Cook’s recent call-up to the England team had some Leeds United fans wondering what might have been. The Championship side are one of English football’s fallen giants but have maintained an excellence in bringing through young talent from their academy. Keeping hold of them has been much more difficult.
There once was a time when Leeds players were commonplace in the England team, but is now some time since a Leeds player featured for England.
England’s Alan Smith blasts a shot past Sweden’s Petter Hansson
In fact, you have to go back to England v Sweden on the 31st March 2004 to find the occasion. The player in question was Alan Smith. He came on as a substitute in the game, whilst fellow Leeds man Paul Robinson at on the bench as a solitary Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal saw Sweden win 1-0. It is a game well remembered for Anthony Gardner’s one and only cap for England.
Not long after this appearance for England the Leeds attacker was off, joining Manchester United two months later whilst Robinson headed to Tottenham Hotspur – after Leeds were relegated to the Championship.
Alan Smith after Leeds relegation.
Leeds will have hope regarding some of their current crop, including Kalvin Phillips, Ronaldo Vieira and Bailey Peacock-Farrell, and their hopes of playing for England whilst Leeds United players.
But Leeds will probably need to earn promotion back to the Premier League before this happens, so fingers crossed for a Leeds player in the England team next season.
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