'Don't' - Leeds United hero recalls incredible debut story with seismic Whites difference and father advice
A Leeds hero has recalled an incredible Whites debut story.
Jermaine Beckford has recalled an incredible Leeds United debut story with a seismic Whites difference.
Beckford scored 85 goals in 152 appearances for Leeds whom he helped fire to promotion from League One yet the striker was signed by the Whites from non-league Wealdstone.
Having been plying his trade in non-league, the striker made his Whites debut as a 77th-minute substitute as Leeds took on Championship visitors Crystal Palace on Tuesday, March 21, 2006.
It meant stepping out in front of 24,507 fans, a world away from what Beckford had experienced with Wealdstone just three days earlier.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Beckford recalled: “I played for Wealdstone on the Saturday and there were about 60 people.
"Imagine how I must have been feeling”...
"I signed for Leeds on the Sunday, trained on the Monday and then I made my debut at Elland Road in front of 24,500 fans.
"Imagine how I must have been feeling. Sixty people on a Saturday to 24,500 on the Tuesday night.
"I was on the touchline and I had number 32 so my number came up on the board and I'm like "oh my God, this is it Jermaine, oh my God, you've made it!'
"And in the back of my mind I'm like I can hear my old man. My dad was like 'you've not made anything, anything until you've finished your career' and I'm like 'ah, okay, cool'.
"Basically what he means is don't let what's happening in here and now cloud the bigger picture because as soon as you then you lose track of where you are and what your goals are."