Ex-Premier League chief's exciting Leeds United prediction after Elland Road news amid Aston Villa comparison
Leeds United’s ambitious Elland Road plans were announced earlier this week.
Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan expects a 53,000-capacity Elland Road to propel Leeds United back towards the top of English football.
Leeds announced major Elland Road development plans earlier this week, with the key takeaway being their aim to bring the capacity up to around 53,000 via expansion of the North and West Stands - a significant increase on the current 37,645 maximum. The club insist those works will bring the stadium in line with Europe’s elite and should be granted UEFA's Category 4 status.
The immediate objective at Leeds is promotion from the Championship but those in charge at Elland Road have often stressed their end goal is much more ambitious than survival. They aim to see European football return to Elland Road and Jordan believes an upgraded ground is a statement of their intent.
“They have to get themselves together on the field,” Jordan told talkSPORT. “They spent a long time out of the Premier League, had a few years back in it and they are out again. But it's a brilliant football club, the most intimidating environment.
“Now they’re building a 53,000 all-seater stadium inside the Championship, and of course they’re building it for the future. It shows you the scale of that football club. It shows you the scale of opportunity. It’s one of those remarkable football clubs.
“That would be the seventh biggest stadium in the country. It tells you where they are and where they should be, and eventually probably where they will be.”
Leeds chiefs will no doubt be keen to follow the recent path of Aston Villa, who were early relegation contenders during the 2022/23 campaign before appointing Unai Emery. It’s been an incredible transformation since and they returned to the Champions League with a convincing 3-0 win at Young Boys earlier this month.
“They [Leeds and Villa] are clubs with stature," Jordan added. "Their fans are always brilliant. The legacy and heritage of these football clubs, you cannot doubt in your mind. When you see Villa and Leeds play, you know you are going up to one of the football stadiums that is representative of the good and big things of English football. Leeds and Villa are absolutely in that bracket.”