Ridsdale: We've got the best

Chairman Peter Ridsdale believes Leeds have got the best in Terry Venables.

The former England manager has signed a two-year deal.

He will be formerly unveiled at a press conference at Elland Road on Wednesday.

He said: "I firmly believe we have got the best. The very best. You could not possibly go through the entire Venables cv both as a player and a manager without arriving at the conclusion that he is supremely well qualified.

"Managing Leeds United is a big job. A huge job. It is therefore not surprising that when the position became vacant there were, over a period of days, many names in the frame.

"The one name which jumped out was Terry Venables. You talk to anybody in the game, the players, the managers, the coaches, and they are almost unanimous in their verdict that Terry is the best coach and manager in the game.

"I had lunch with Terry in Spain on Saturday and within ten minutes so infectious is his enthusiasm that he has you believing that you can play for England. Imagine how that must make a player puff out his chest."

Ridsdale also told the Yorkshire Post: "We talked over lunch about all of our players and the players that he wants to bring in as and when required.

"Rio Ferdinand was obviously one of those we discussed. Of course Terry would like him at Elland Road and my point of view was that he is a player who is contracted to us and, as far as I am concerned, that is the way it will stay.

"Terry is aware of the situation regarding Lee Bowyer and, as I have said all along, the door is still open to Lee to sign a new contract and commit himself to Leeds United."