The Rest of the As ⭑ From A-Z since '92

This is part of my (eight year long, it'll fly by) attempt to write about every Leeds United player since 1992. For more about why I'm doing this, go back to Aapo Halme, and to read all the players so far, browse the archive here.

I'm quite willing to be flexible in my criteria for including players in this A-Z since 1992 project — this eight year project. And I'm learning as I go that even bit part players can have big stories — Anthony Elding, Armando Sá. But lines do have to be drawn. There have been some who simply didn't play enough, some who weren't interesting enough, some who were a bit too recent for inclusion. They're not getting left out altogether, though, as I'll be writing these occasional wrap-ups of the 'others' for the sake of completeness. Filling out the As, then, means beginning with the perfect example of a footballer who doesn't merit further discussion.

Adam Johnson

Loaned in from Middlesbrough as a nineteen-year-old, early in United's season of relegation from the Championship, the winger had the odd distinction of being 'signed by' caretaker manager John Carver. More accurately he would have been sporting director Gwyn Williams' work. Johnson went back to Teeside after an underwhelming month, then had a jarring rise into Boro's first team, then Manchester City's after a £7m transfer to the Premier League, followed by twelve games for England and a £10m move to Sunderland. Johnson's next move was to prison, sentenced to six years, 'for grooming and sexual activity with a girl aged fifteen'. The crime itself was compounded by Sunderland's incompetence as the club, believing he would plead not guilty, kept him in the team during the eleven months it took for the trial to begin.

Adam Smith

The last loan signing Simon Grayson made for Leeds, Smith came to play right-back and had some pedigree. He'd come through Spurs' youth system and been systematically loaned to Wycombe, Torquay, Bournemouth and MK Dons. There was nothing systematic about the way Leeds were being run, though, and after three games while Neil Redfearn was caretaker Spurs recalled him as cover for Kyle Walker before Neil Warnock could get at him. Next season he was off to Millwall and Derby but all this was putting off a permanent move to his spiritual home, AFC Bournemouth. He'd played 42 times during his loan there in League One and, since transferring to them in the Championship for around £300,000, he's played another 350 games for them and become captain.

Alan Wright

A left-back loaned in like a fever dream during 2006/07's relegation. It felt like he'd been around forever. His four years at Blackburn were followed by eight at Aston Villa, where he was memorable for being 5ft4in — reputedly the shortest player in the Premier League — and bald since, it felt like, his teens. I've looked up a photo of him with a full head of hair and it's an inexplicably unsettling sight. He'd scored against us for Villa in a 3-0 league win in 1996, then played at Wembley in their 3-0 League Cup win against us. Then in 2006 he turned up on loan from Sheffield United — another 'John Carver signing' — played in a 4-0 home defeat to Stoke City, and was sent back by Dennis Wise. He kept on haunting Leeds after relegation, playing in Cheltenham's two wins over us in 2007/08, games that Gloucestershire Live were still crowing about ten years later. He was still playing there when Leeds did the double over them in 2008/09 but honestly we don't need to dwell on the days when we were on revenge missions against Cheltenham bloody Town.

Alex McCarthy

McCarthy came on loan to save us while Andy Lonergan's finger healed and Paul Rachubka... well, you know the story. He had six very decent games for Leeds, including three clean sheets, four wins and just one defeat at Barnsley, the only time he conceded twice, and was brought back for another month even after Lonergan was fit. He lost his place when he couldn't play against his parent club, though, and was recalled by Reading for a new loan to Ipswich. Lingering thoughts that we should have kept him were replaced by the suspicion that we'd unknowingly broken him when he returned to Elland Road with Ipswich at the end of the season and gave away two goals that had Eddie Gray giggling merrily on the gantry for Yorkshire Radio.