Leeds United nostalgia: Hackworth had a baptism of fire in Nou Camp

YEP 20/5/13
It is chapter one or thereabouts in the book of debuts from hell; Tony Hackworth’s first appearance for Leeds United.
His 16-minute outing at the Nou Camp in September 2000 was much like his career at Elland Road – fraught, forgettable and unlucky. Leeds lost 4-0 to Barcelona in a harsh Champions League introduction and Hackworth chased shadows as a crowd of 85,000 lapped up United’s drubbing.
Before long, Hackworth would disappear quietly on the back of his involvement in the criminal trial of Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer. In the year of his United debut, the Durham-born forward was charged with assault and affray after a late-night attack on a student in Leeds but was rapidly cleared of both offences.
Speaking at the time, his solicitor John Perry said: “Over the past 12 months he has shouldered this burden with great poise and dignity. It has been an immense burden for him and he has shouldered it well. I hope now he can get on with his life.”
Hackworth made few waves as a first-team professional at Elland Road but he broke into the senior squad on the strength of youth-team performances which marked him out as a player with pedigree and a striker with bundles of goals in him.
An England youth international, Hackworth was part of the FA Youth Cup-winning squad of 1997, denied an appearance in the final by an untimely ankle injury. United beat Crystal Palace in his absence but Hackworth was expected to progress alongside many of his peers – Woodgate, Paul Robinson, Harry Kewell and Alan Smith. Serious cruciate ligament damage held him back again as others from the Academy began to find favour under David O’Leary.
Hackworth’s debut against Barcelona at least suggested that United’s manager had not forgotten him. He was involved in the pre-season programme leading up to the 2000-01 term and was seen by others in United’s side as a threat to their places. Michael Bridges said: “There’s me, Alan Smith, Darren Huckerby and Tony Hackworth in the frame now, along with Mark Viduka. There’s competition for places and it’ll be a big bonus for us.”
The competition for Hackworth, who celebrated his 33rd birthday yesterday, proved too fierce and he was used only twice more by O’Leary, most memorably in a League Cup defeat at Tranmere Rovers when O’Leary fielded him as a replacement before substituting him in extra-time. A useful 26-minute shift at home to Lazio in the Champions League was his last outing.
Leeds sold Hackworth to Notts County for £120,000 in the summer of 2001 and he joined the now-defunct Scarborough FC three years later.
He is presently on the books of Scarborough Athletic, the club built from Scarborough FC’s ashes, and won their player of the year award at the end of his first season. The club were promoted from the Northern Counties East League Premier Division last month.

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