David O'Leary has opened up about the potential return he could have made to Leeds United in recent years.
The former United boss, who departed Elland Road in 2004, has revealed that he was close to making a return to management four years ago, after receiving an approach from then-owner Andrea Radrizzani.
In an interview with The Telegraph, O'Leary recalled leaving the meeting underwhelmed by the club’s hierarchy. "I wasn’t sure about the idea of going back, but there was no harm talking," he said. "I went for a meeting in London I thought was private. I get a cab from the station and the cabbie says to me ‘oh are you here about the Leeds job?’ And I’m thinking: right, not that private then.
"And I go to the meeting and it is not good. I’m not impressed by the man, even worse, he had his sporting director with him, who was an absolute fruitcake, jumping up and down.
"I tell them what I think is needed, and they don’t really respond. They’re all fiddling on their phones. It’s no way to deal with someone. I was getting more and more peed off with their attitude. So I walk out and never hear from them again."
When asked about what Leeds must do to ensure they stay in the top-flight this season, O'Leary continued: "What they’ve got to do is be hard to beat. I know it sounds easy, but you have to be.
"Under [Marcelo] Bielsa, all that 'we’ll not change, we’ll play as we did to get promotion.' Well you can’t do that. Otherwise you get turned over. As they did. I hope [they adapt]. They have to stay up if they want to rebuild the ground and all that.
"I really hope they can stay up. I love that club." And he pauses for a moment before smiling. "Almost as much as I love Arsenal."
The 67-year-old managed the Whites between 1998 and 2002. The club enjoyed a sustained spell of success under his stewardship, never finishing lower than fifth in the league and reaching the Champions League semi-final in 2000/01.
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