Leeds United’s managing director Angus Kinnear has paid a touching tribute to Victor Orta – even if he’s been a ‘disgrace’ over the past few weeks.
The Spanish Director of Football was as animated as anybody at Elland Road last night as United’s Premier League promotion was confirmed.
Orta, who joined the club three years ago, was filmed jumping up and down outside the entrance to the stadium as Leeds fans serenaded him with club chants following West Brom’s defeat at Huddersfield.
The former Middlesbrough man is a very passionate character and his over-zealous celebrations have been evident in the director’s box in recent weeks.
Earlier this season, Orta broke a television monitor at Elland Road while celebrating an Eddie Nketiah goal.
And Kinnear has quipped that his behaviour is unbecoming for somebody of his role, but claims that he and everybody else at Leeds absolutely loves him for it.
He told BBC West Yorkshire Sport: “He’s really taken it to the next level over the past couple of weeks. Any level of director’s box decorum has been thrown out of the window. Quite frankly his behaviour’s been a disgrace, but we love him for it.
“His passion has really flowed throughout the club. He’s the heartbeat of the team. He’s the link between the playing side and the boardroom and his passion his infectious, inspiring. I think he would die for the club.”
Orta wasn’t a popular figure among many Leeds fans after his first 12 months, with many of his early signings flopping in a big way in West Yorkshire.
But since he’s been liasing with Marcelo Bielsa, the signings have only got better and it’ll be fascinating to see how he and the Argentine work alongside one another ahead of the Whites’ long-awaited Premier League return.
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