Former Leeds United defender Alex Bruce casts verdict on Whites' promotion prospects

FORMER Leeds United defender Alex Bruce believes the Whites will finally seal a place in the Premier League by the end of the current campaign.

Bruce spent two years with Leeds between August 2010 and July 2012 with Simon Grayson's Whites finishing seventh in the Championship in Bruce's first season after United's promotion from League One the previous term.

STILL TRYING: Alex Bruce, top, celebrates Bradley Johnson's goal in Leeds United's 2-2 draw at home to Hull City in November 2010, a season in which Simon Grayson's Whites missed the Championship play-offs by one place and three points after finishing seventh. Picture by Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire. | jpimedia

placeholder image — STILL TRYING: Alex Bruce, top, celebrates Bradley Johnson's goal in Leeds United's 2-2 draw at home to Hull City in November 2010, a season in which Simon Grayson's Whites missed the Championship play-offs by one place and three points after finishing seventh. Picture by Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire. | jpimedia

Leeds then began what was to prove five consecutive seasons of bottom-half finishes the following campaign when ending up in 14th under Neil Warnock following Grayson's sacking in February.

But nearly eight years on, Saturday's 1-0 win at home to Bristol City paired with Fulham's 3-0 loss at home to Barnsley has left second-placed United with a three-point cushion in the division's automatic promotion spots with 13 games left.

United looked destined to finally seal promotion from the Championship last season in which they spent the vast majority of the season in the top two only to fall away and finish third before suffering defeat in the play-offs semi-finals to Derby County.

Bruce, though, who is now plying his trade in the SPL with Kilmarnock, believes that this time Marcelo Bielsa's men will have enough to get over the line and end a 16-year wait for Premier League football.

"They’re a great club to play for, it tests you with the pressure that it brings,” said Bruce in an interview with talkSPORT.

"You can see that now with some of the results. I think they’ll have enough to go up this season, however.

“I do believe they’re a Premier League club, Leeds United should be in the Premier League.

“The result against on Saturday (the 1-0 win over Bristol City) was huge, to go back to Elland Road and get three points.

"I saw them play against Brentford and they played well, responded well to going 1-0 down.”

Asked where he was happiest in his career, Bruce said: "I really enjoyed playing for Leeds,” he told Talksport, responding to a question about where he was happiest in his career.

“It was a little bit of turmoil at the end, behind the scenes. There was a change of ownership with Ken Bates and things like that. That was a tough time for the club.”