Leeds United Elland Road intruder story and most important tributes reveal Terry Yorath legacy

Football has always been a game of opinions and Elland Road has always been a tough school. Harsh analysis of player ability and performance is no modern phenomenon. Right back in the 1930s Leeds United Football Club issued appeals to the supporters to 'stop barracking our own players.' Yorath came through the ranks at Leeds so even though he was every inch a Welshman he could be described as 'one of our own' by the Yorkshire folk on the terraces. But ask those who were part of that no-nonsense and at times uncompromising, unfiltered fanbase during Yorath's years at Leeds and they will recall him taking criticism.

Some of the narrative around Yorath stemmed from his profile as a defensive-minded, touch-tackling midfielder and how that compared with some of the players around him who sparkled going forward. Comparisons that have since been described as 'unfair' by supporters from that era. It is often the case that the years after a player's time allow for a more accurate reflection of his worth to the club, particularly when the realisation hits that glory days do not last forever. Hindsight is 20:20 after all and while nostalgia adds a rose tint, it remains an indisputable fact that Yorath contributed to the greatest era Leeds United Football Club has and likely will ever know.

But for a true window into which a player's worth can be seen, it is his team-mates you must listen to. Stuart Dallas recently spoke of times when he was on the receiving end of criticism for perceived weaknesses in his game, times that coincided with his peers voting him their Player of the Season. In the past week Gabriel Gudmundsson was asked about Brenden Aaronson and made a point of highlighting the work the American does to help the team rather than the end product that has started flowing from him. Players often see and appreciate what the rest of us don't, or what we are tempted to skip over.

There is a sadness in the fact that Eddie Gray has so often been called upon to provide words on men he grew up with and shared a dressing room with. Men who also knew first hand what it was like to play for Leeds, to win for Leeds and to lift trophies bearing the club's colours. The goodbyes have come too thick and too fast and they must wear on Gray. But when discussing a sadly departed legend, there is no one better placed to speak than another legend. And what he said about his fellow Revie Boy was glowing.

“He was a tough player, a very good player," said Gray. "He was captain of his country, which made him very proud. It’s a sad day for everybody connected with Leeds United. It was expected, so it was not a shock to everybody, but I’d like to send my condolences to all the family. He was a big part of the success we had at Leeds. He was a very proud Welshman and his greatest achievement was to have been captain of his country. He loved playing for his country.

“He came through the ranks at Leeds as a young lad like all the players at that particular time and we had a lot of top players, but he went about his role with a lot of tenacity and did very well. A tough player and a very good footballer, but above all he was a very good man.”

The final nine words of that glowing tribute are by far the most important because that is a legacy that matters most in life. A contributor for When Saturday Comes called Tristan Scott once penned a lovely piece about his Leeds supporting uncle Simon. The story went that Simon, as a boy, travelled with his father from south Wales to go and see the FA Cup at the Yorkshire Evening Post offices in Leeds, just after it had been captured by the Whites. Except by the time they got there, the trophy had been returned to Elland Road. So Simon's father took him to the ground and they brazenly wandered in until they found a sympathetic kitman and explained their quest. The kitman introduced them to Yorath and the rest is the stuff of childhood dreams.

"He took the starstruck Simon out onto the Elland Road turf, and even let him knock a few penalties past him," wrote Scott.

"After their penalty session, Yorath took the two intruders, who could scarcely believe their luck, to the changing room. They were greeted by the rest of the squad and Don Revie. “Give the laddie your autographs,” Revie barked at the players. Simon gladly made his way around the room, collecting signatures and shaking the hands of his idols, no doubt still covered in sweat and grime after their training session – though I’m sure he would have barely noticed."

Stories like that grant us an insight into the kindness and generosity of the man. Yorath's character further revealed itself when his instinct was to help try and save others during the horrific fire at Valley Parade in 1985. There are so many footballers who owe Yorath for his investment into their careers during his time as a coach, manager and national team boss. Nathan Blake has described him as a 'fatherly figure' and Malcom Allen has spoken of a presence 'unlike any other manager' he played under. Tributes will continue to flow because a football career that began at Leeds United went on to make an impact at Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur, Vancouver Whitecaps, Bradford City, Swansea City, Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Lebanon and most famously the Welsh national team.

But it is the words of those who knew him best and feel his departure most painfully, that matter most. Yorath was father to Gabby, Daniel, Louise and Jordan. Daniel was just 15 when he collapsed and died playing football with his father in their back garden in 1992. Gabby, Louise and Jordan released a statement on Wednesday morning that read: "To most he was a revered footballing hero, but to us he was dad; a quiet, kind and gentle man. Our hearts are broken but we take comfort knowing that he will be reunited with our brother, Daniel."

Yorath will forever be remembered by the history books for what he gave the sport and what he achieved as a player and manager, but he is remembered now as a 'very good man' and a 'kind and gentle dad.' There can be no finer tribute and no better legacy than that.