Swansea City boss Alan Sheehan declares his Leeds United wish in recalling Whites memories with admission
Swansea caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan joined Leeds as a player way back in January 2008.
Swansea City boss Alan Sheehan has declared his Leeds United wish with a 'half an hour' quip and huge praise ahead of this afternoon's Whites return.
Seventeen years after joining Leeds from Leicester City as a player in January 2008, Sheehan will take his place in the away dugout for this afternoon's Whites v Swans Championship showdown as Swansea caretaker head coach.
The Irishman was named as the club’s caretaker head coach after Luke Williams left the Swans in mid-February and Sheehan will now remain in charge to the end of the season.
The 38-year-old admits the final eight games of the season essentially present a very long audition for the outright job itself and that today's assignment presents the hardest game the division has to offer.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Sheehan served up huge praise for Daniel Farke’s table-topping Whites and also saluted the club with whom he spent two and a half years with, albeit the majority of the final year and a half out on loan.
The ex-left back says he wishes Leeds “all the success” for the future - but only after Saturday’s game.
Pressed on his Leeds past, Sheehan quipped: “I was there for half an hour.
“Obviously I had a good time there on loan under Gary McAllister, we lost the play-off final. I think that was the year that Swansea got promoted from League One under Martinez, I went there in the January and had a good time and then I signed there.
"I had some good times under Gary McAllister, a change of management and I ended up going out on loan a bit after that. But it's a massive football club, a huge football club, really, really passionate fans and they are a team that I wish them all the success - after Saturday."
Sizing up the task in store at Elland Road - and pressed on whether it was a good time to play Leeds after just one win from their last four games - Sheehan declared: “You have to go (there) at some point obviously.
"They are a top team for this league, look, to butter it up any other way would be silly.
"It's probably the toughest game of the season to go to Elland Road, it's going to be a hell of a challenge so it doesn't matter really what form they are on, you know what challenge you are going to get when you go to Elland Road. A top team for the Championship and I'm expecting a difficult challenge.”
Asked in particular about United’s ex-Swans attackers Dan James and Joel Piroe, Sheehan admitted: “I think they have got quality all over the field really.
“High, high level players for this division and that's why they are where they are really.
"They have got a lot of attacking prowess at the football club, in the starting XI, and on the bench to bring on so we have to understand the challenge and bring it."