Kelly yearning for final crack at football’s big time

GARY KELLY is desperate for his roller-coaster career at Leeds to finish on one last high, with a final crack at the Premiership before he calls time on his love affair with the Elland Road club.

The former Republic of Ireland international is in his 14th season with the Yorkshire side and has witnessed the rise and fall of a club which remains one of the most remarkable footballing stories of the last decade.

Kelly is a veteran of over 500 appearances and is the only current player who was at the club when Leeds last won a trophy, the old First Division championship in 1992.

He was a prominent member of the side under former manager David O’Leary which reached the UEFA Cup and then Champions League semi-finals, overcoming the likes of AC Milan, Lazio, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the process, before falling to Valencia in the last four.

With the good times came the bad, however and the full back was forced to witness at close quarters the shocking demise of Leeds as former chairman Peter Ridsdale ran up debts of more than £110 million (€160 million) in his ill-fated pursuit of glory.

One by one, Kelly said goodbye to his colleagues and friends, before Leeds eventually crashed to relegation from the top flight in 2004.

Leeds were even in danger of dropping into League One the following season before Ken Bates arrived with a £10m (€14.7m) rescue package to save Leeds from administration and, slowly but surely, the club has battled back to the brink of a return to the top flight.

Kelly, who will line up for Kevin Blackwell’s side against Watford in the £40m (€58m) Millennium Stadium showdown tomorrow, is expected to retire at the end of next season.

But he wants his final fling to be in the Premiership and admits tomorrow’s game is as big, if not bigger, than the ones he experienced in that remarkable European Cup campaign of 2000/01.

Kelly, 31, said: “Last year we were just looking to stay in the division.

“We found it hard to adapt, particularly after all the changes that had taken place. But I take my hat off to everyone involved for how things have gone since.

“We need to get back into the Premiership as quickly as possible. That is where this club belongs and if we do go back up, I doubt the same mistakes would ever be made again.

“I’d love to get back there and have my final season in the Premiership.

“I just want to help the club get back into the top flight and see a few nice grounds again, so I can sign off in style at the end of next season.

“This is a massive game for the club and for Leeds in general.

“I would imagine the city will close down on Sunday, with everyone either going to Cardiff or watching the game in Leeds.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play in big games, in the Premiership and in Europe, but you want to win trophies.

“There is a massive prize at stake tomorrow and it should be a great game.

“We are just 90 minutes away from where this club wants to be. We are a big club and we want to be in the top flight. This is a massive game — this really is the big one. It’ll definitely be up there with the likes of games against Barcelona and Valencia.

“But you can’t experience those days unless you are in the Premiership and these are exciting times again. We’ll be trying our best to get the result.

“This is all about focusing and concentrating on what we have to do.”