Leeds United have now returned to the same position as they began in their division, having won their return to the Premier League in 2020, only to be relegated three seasons later. It was hoped that when Bielsa returned to Elland Road, he would lead the club to a dynasty, based on a more free-flowing style of play and the financial resources that come with promotion. However, the Argentine’s transfer dealings and a weak squad proved to be too much for Bielsa and he was subsequently dismissed.

However, it is likely that his stubbornness was not the only factor in his decision. It can be questioned whether this was a wise decision at the time, but what followed was a series of ill-advised decisions that ultimately led to a disastrous campaign that was always bound to end in failure. Jesse Marsch may have saved the club the year before, but handing Bielsa two transfer windows after such poor results was a suicide mission from Andrea Radriazzani, who then employed Javi Gracia, Sam Allardyce and others in the space of five months.

Now, with Daniel Farke in charge of a new ‘long-term’ project under the 49ers’ new owners, the hope is that they can hit the ground running to ensure their absence from the top flight doesn’t last as long as the previous one.

But there was one transfer they could have made that could have short-circuited that last time out of the top flight, if they’d fought harder for Billy Sharp to stay at Elland Road.

Why did Leeds United let Billy Sharp leave?

Having begun his professional career at Sheffield United and subsequently returned to the club from 2007 to 2010, it was widely accepted that he had a strong affinity for Bramall Lane. Therefore, when the Whites recruited him in 2014, speculation began to swirl that his stay at the club would be short-lived.

At the very least, there was optimism that his goals would help steer the club away from their current difficulties, as he had achieved success at almost every level of the English football pyramid, having scored 45 goals in 102 games for the Doncaster Rovers and 55 in 93 games for the Scunthorpes United, who had both won promotion to the Championship and then played at that level.

Steve Crossman, presenter of BBC 5 Live Sport, expressed his admiration for the man who had gone through a difficult period in his life, noting that he was still playing and was an “unquestionably a legend” of the EFL, while Mark Clemmit added that “except for that brief period at Sheffield United when he only played two games, he has scored goals everywhere he has been.”

Then, from a Leeds point of view, Stephen Warnock said, “I think when he came to Leeds, when he arrived, he was all we could have hoped for. We thought he would be the striker to get us into the top flight.”

It’s no surprise, then, that the peak of his career came in his final season with his hometown club, Sheffield United, where he scored 129 goals in 377 games and helped them return to the Premier League.

Although he may not have needed to, Sharp would still explain the reasons behind his departure from Elland Road that led to so much success in 2015. “It was a no brainer,” he said. “I started when I was a kid and I always wanted to come here because I grew up a Shepherds fan.

I thought it would be a good time to come back. I’m 29 now and I’m at the top of my game. I think I’ve improved a lot since the last time I was here. To be able to achieve success with the club I grew up with would be nothing short of incredible.”

For a man who is so capable of taking a team to the top of the football pyramid – just like he did with his goals – his brief time in Yorkshire was frustrating because of the potential he could have been their promotion chaser.

They were in desperate need of someone to take them by the arse and pull them through – and there were few better characters than Sharp.

How good was Billy Sharp?

It is indicative of both his quality and his personality that most of those who have played alongside him for the past 37 years are quick to praise him both as a player and a leader. John Fleck, one of his former teammates, was no exception, as he stated in a lengthy interview to The Athletic in 2020 that “Billy has been an incredible goalscorer and still is, but he’s also captain of this club and he’s always managed the dressing room really well and I’m sure he will continue to do so as long as the group is together. He’s in control of everything.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, after all, having spent around 12 years at Bramall Lane in three different spells.”

All stats via Transfermarkt

At Elland Road, Sharp’s time at the club was not as successful as the club would have hoped, as he only managed five goals in his first season. However, his goalscoring record across the League One, Championship and Premier League is undeniable, with a total of 272 goals and counting.

He is now playing for LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer, and is looking to enjoy a tranquil retirement after a difficult career in which he has had to fight for everything he has achieved. Despite this, Sharp was always bound to be tempted by the allure of his boyhood club, as in Chris Wilder’s eyes, he is the “Mr Sheffield United” and Leeds would never be able to compete with that.

Given that Rosler would sanction Sharp’s departure for just £500,000 when the promotion he could have achieved would have been far more lucrative, this is one of many mistakes made during his short-lived three-month reign as manager.