Not a single member of that Leeds United side remains with the club just a handful of years later.
Leeds United’s win over Burton Albion on Saturday ensured that Garry Monk’s men finished a tremendous week on another high. The first high came when they booked their place in the last eight of the EFL Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Norwich City.
It was the first time that the Whites have been in the hat for the quarter-final since the 2012/13 season when Chelsea stood between them and the last four.
But despite taking the lead through Luciano Becchio, Leeds were picked apart in the second-half as the Blues ran out 5-1 winners at Elland Road in a competition that was ultimately won that year by a Swansea City team that included Monk and current United loanee Pablo Hernandez in their ranks.
But what became of the Leeds side that threatened to upset Chelsea in December 2012? Here is a look at the team that Neil Warnock picked for the contest.
Jamie Ashdown
The stopper failed to make a single league appearance for Leeds during his two seasons with the club. He retired from professional football in 2015 after subsequent stints with Crawley Town and Oxford United.
Lee Peltier
Lee Peltier
The defender struggled to really make his mark during his time with Leeds, despite spending his first year with the club as the captain. He remains in the Championship with Cardiff City, where he is, once again, playing under Warnock.
Tom Lees
The Whites academy graduate threatened to become a key player for Leeds before his career appeared to be beginning to stagnate. A move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2014 has brought the best out of him, as he helped the Owls come agonisingly close to reaching the Premier League last season.
Jason Pearce
Like many of the squad playing against Chelsea, Pearce was enjoying his first season with the club. Despite becoming captain in 2014, Pearce was sold to Wigan not long after, and recently left the DW Stadium for Charlton Athletic.
Paul Green
Paul Green
The midfielder never quite discovered his best form following his move from Derby County. He made just 41 league appearances across two seasons, and was loaned out to Ipswich Town in 2014. After being released, he joined Rotherham United before signing for Oldham this summer.
Jerome Thomas
Jerome Thomas
The winger joined Leeds on loan from West Brom. While he had plenty of tricks in his locker, his spell was predominantly a disappointing one. He would play just seven times for the Whites before returning to the Hawthorns. He would work under Warnock again at Crystal Palace and become his first signing at Rotherham last season. He’s now plying his trade with Port Vale in League One.
Michael Brown
As well as being notorious for collecting yellow cards, Michael Brown also has the honour of being the only Leeds player of the Massimo Cellino era to wear the number 17 shirt. The owner’s superstition about the number led to it being retired following the midfielder’s release in 2014. Like Thomas, he is currently with Port Vale, but he is also the assistant manager to former Leeds man Bruno Ribeiro.
Michael Tonge
Tonge was coming to the end of his loan spell with the club when they faced Chelsea. He was soon back however as Warnock signed him permanently in January 2013. After an underwhelming spell with the Whites, he joined Millwall on loan in 2015, and joined Stevenage last year.
Sam Byram
Incredibly, Byram’s move to West Ham in January 2016 made him the last player from this team to leave Leeds. The right-back went from strength to strength after Warnock handed him his first-team debut and finally earned a move to the top flight that had seemed inevitable for several years.
Luciano Becchio
Luciano Becchio
After it became that Leeds were once again well off the pace in the play-off race, Becchio departed for Norwich in January 2013. Unfortunately for the striker, he failed to replicate the form that made him a cult-hero with the Whites following his switch to Carrow Road. After a loan spell with Rotherham and a return to Argentina, Becchio rejoined the Millers in 2016 but failed to make an impact before he was released.
El Hadji Diouf
Diouf’s arrival took many by surprise given the previous animosity between himself and Warnock. However, few were stunned when he left in 2014. He retired after a spell with Sabah FA.
Substitutes
Paddy Kenny
The Warnock favourite has played for Bolton, Oldham, Ipswich, Bury, Rotherham – where he signed for Warnock for a fifth time – and Northampton since leaving Leeds.
Luke Varney
The forward’s disappointing Leeds spell – which reaped six league goals in 45 appearances – ended when he joined Blackburn after a loan spell. He currently plays for Ipswich.
Aidy White
Like Lees, White never quite lived up to the expectations following his promising emergence. However, he is beginning to find his feet again after joining Barnsley on a permanent deal in January.
David Norris
After leaving Leeds in 2015, the midfielder played for Peterborough, Yeovil and Blackpool. He now plays for non-league side Leatherhead, who are managed by Jimmy Bullard.
Andy Gray
Though Gray’s playing days are over, he does remain at Leeds, working amongst the youth set-up. The son of Frank Gray enjoyed two spells with the club, and scored his first goal for the side around 17 years after his debut.
Davide Somma
After proving himself out on loan, Somma threatened to become a key man for Leeds as his partnership with Becchio began to blossom. However, injuries wrecked his career and he has remained a free agent since leaving Elland Road in 2013.
Ross McCormack
After becoming the side’s captain and talisman, McCormack left for Fulham in 2014. He made another big-money move this summer, joining Aston Villa.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
