Gary Speed
Leeds United
Speed began his career with Leeds United as a trainee when he left school in June 1988, and was Peter Swan)'s boot boy, before he signed a professional contract on 13 June 1988. Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson first noticed Speed in a youth team game while the player was playing in a left back#Full-back) position. Under Wilkinson, he made his first team debut aged 19 in a goalless draw against Oldham Athletic in the Football League Second Division. He would go on to play in nine out of the ten outfield positions, although he was predominantly a left-sided player.
Leeds United
He went on to play a key role, playing 41 of a possible 42 games and scoring seven goals, as Leeds won the Football League First Division championship title in 1992, as part of a midfield that also comprised Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister and David Batty – former Leeds manager Eddie Gray) considered it to be one of the greatest midfield line-ups in the modern era. Wilkinson named Speed as the club's player of the season.
Leeds United
In September 1992, Speed was pivotal in Leeds' UEFA Champions League first-round tie against VfB Stuttgart. Stuttgart had won 3–0 at home and looked to be going through already. Speed helped Leeds to a 4–1 victory at Elland Road, scoring one of them with a "superb left-foot volley" which he later described as his best-ever goal. Although Leeds went out of the tie on the away goals rule, the club was later reinstated, for Stuttgart had fielded an ineligible player.
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