The Premier League will be regaining a stadium with the ‘best atmosphere in football’ if Leeds win the Championship play-off final.
That’s according to ex-Leeds star Pablo Hernandez who will watch his former side’s huge clash against Southampton at Wembley.
Both sides have the chance to gain promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking via the Championship play-off final, live on talkSPORT.
And if Leeds do go back, Hernandez believes their home, Elland Road, will have the best crowds in England’s top flight.
When asked where Leeds’ ground ranks among all the stadiums he’s played in, he told talkSPORT: “For me it’s the first one.
“The support the Leeds fans gave me in my five years, it was amazing. It’s unbelievable.
“I think it’s the best atmosphere I’ve been in in football.”
That’s pretty high praise given the Spaniard played at Real Madrid’s Santigao Bernabeu and Liverpool’s Anfield amongst other iconic stadiums during his career.
The former Valencia and Swansea star joined Leeds on loan from Al-Arabi in the summer of 2016. He then made a permanent move in the January, linking up with ex-Swans manager Garry Monk.
He went on to make 175 appearances for Leeds, including helping them to win promotion back to the Premier League in 2020 for the first time since 2004 under Marcelo Bielsa.
Hernandez netted nine times and recorded nine assists in that season as Leeds went up as champions with a 10-point advantage, helping establish himself as a club legend.
He then left the club for Castellon in 2021 and retired two years later.
Fast forward to 2024, Leeds finished third in the Championship this term and went on to see off Norwich with a 4-0 win on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.
After going up as champions last time they won promotion from the second tier, Daniel Farke’s side will be hoping they can give their fans another day to remember in their first trip to the Home of Football since 2008.
News Summary:
- I played at Real Madrid and Liverpool’s Anfield but Leeds’ ‘amazing’ Elland Road has the ‘best atmosphere in football’
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.