Yorkshire Evening Post 26/9/11
It’s great to be back - Pugh INTERVIEW
By Phil Hay
In the last hours of the summer transfer window, every ring of Danny Pugh’s mobile phone had him jumping out of his seat.
The traditional drama of deadline day was keenly felt in the midfielder’s household.
Leeds United rushed to sign him on August 31 after an influx of expensive recruits at Stoke City rendered Pugh surplus to requirements at short notice.
City’s manager, Tony Pulis, was loath to auction off a trustworthy squad member but the investment of around £20million in Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome gave him no alternative.
United’s move for Pugh was the sort of deal which has made the minutes before FIFA’s transfer deadline a bi-annual institution – chaotic, scrambled and set against a ticking clock.
The timing of their approach came too late for the completion of a medical and other formalities, and Pugh was forced to sit tight until a temporary move was agreed between Stoke and Leeds last Thursday, a fortnight after the Football League opened its emergency loan market.
Pugh’s transfer was completed with a view to a permanent deal in January, a signing which is set to cost United in the region of £500,000. After a month of uncertainty and tested patience, it was a relief to find himself in Simon Grayson’s starting line-up at Brighton on Friday night.
“I was first aware of the interest just before the window closed,” Pugh said. “I nearly came on deadline day but things didn’t quite get sorted between the two clubs.
“I had my phone on and every time it rang I was jumping about but I had to wait a bit longer than I expected. It’s been a long three weeks for me and the people involved, so it’s nice to finally be here and to get the first game under my belt.”
Grayson echoed Pugh’s sentiments after finalising his loan, admitting that Leeds “could have done with him here 10 days ago”.
Although the 28-year-old was omitted from Stoke’s Premier League and Europa League squads, Pulis was still inclined to name Pugh on the bench for their Carling Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
Pugh’s attributes served many of Grayson’s needs, in a squad which was lacking slightly in experience and more seriously in left-sided midfielders following Max Gradel’s move to St Etienne.
He was also a player who had previously served United with distinction between 2004 and 2006, brought to Elland Road as a makeweight in the controversial deal which took Alan Smith to Manchester United.
Pugh became Kevin Blackwell’s first signing as manager and appeared regularly in his initial season with Leeds before rapidly losing Blackwell’s favour. He opted to leave United after 50 league appearances, declining the chance to renew his contract and relocating instead to Preston North End. United earned compensation of £250,000 from the transfer as Pugh was under the age of 24.
Asked if he had unfinished business at Elland Road, Pugh said: “Yes, definitely.
“I had two great years here and some fantastic memories. I’ve no bad memories at all and it’s nice to be back. I’m looking forward to my home debut now. Personally, I just want to get a run of games in, get my sharpness back and then take things from there in the longer term.
“I think a couple of other Championship clubs were involved (in trying to sign him) but once Leeds were interested this was always the place I wanted to come to. I love it here, I really enjoyed myself first time around and it was a no-brainer to come back.”
Pugh made a 81-minute outing in Friday’s 3-3 draw at Brighton and saw the best and worst of his new team – three goals scored, including one in injury-time when the game appeared to be lost, but three conceded in a manner which left manager Simon Grayson tearing his hair out.
His performance contributed to a organised and tactically-perfect first half in which Leeds established a 2-0 lead, but United’s composure deserted them in the second period as two efforts from Craig Mackail-Smith led a spirited fightback from Brighton.
Pugh said: “The overriding feeling was disappointment. To be 2-0 up at half-time and comfortable and then come away with a draw is disappointing, even though we scored a late goal.
“I thought we started brilliantly in the first half. We worked really hard, had good shape and scored two very good goals.
“But in the second half we conceded an early goal and that just rocked the boat. It threw us a bit and we conceded again. But we at least showed the fight to come back and not lose the game, and that’s a massive thing. To come out with a point away from home, you’ve got to try and take any positives.”
Leeds played Manchester United in the Carling Cup three days earlier and Brighton were involved in a hard tie against Liverpool on Wednesday evening, and Pugh said: “Tiredness was possibly a factor (with Brighton’s first-half performance). But our lads played on Tuesday and both teams will have had quite tired legs.
“We put in a very good performance in the first half and maybe it was our own fault that we slipped up in the second. But there are lads in this team who can score goals and the front two (Ross McCormack and Andy Keogh) looked really sharp and bright. There’s goals in midfield as well. Attacking-wise, it all looks good.”
Grayson, meanwhile, was satisfied with Pugh’s first outing and said the midfielder would play a crucial role for Leeds during the rest of the Championship season.
“He was very professional and helped us keep our shape,” Grayson said. “He got a bit of cramp towards the end which is why he came off but he’ll be a very good acquisition over the season.”

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