'Dynamite in both legs' - Brian Deane recalls Tony Yeboah's legendary Leeds United spell - Leeds Live 22/9/22
Brian Deane has recalled his time alongside the explosive Ghana forward at Elland Road
Former Leeds United forward Tony Yeboah is responsible for
arguably two of the greatest goals ever scored in the Premier League.
His explosive long-range volley which cannoned in off the
crossbar and beyond Liverpool goalkeeper David James has gone down as one of
the defining moments in Premier League history.
Just four weeks later, Yeboah plucked the ball from out of
the air, jinked past his marker and unleashed an unstoppable rocket on the half
volley past Paul Heald on his way to a hat-trick at Wimbledon.
Both goals added to the legend of one of the most intriguing
talents to arrive on British shores and Brian Deane had a front row seat on his
journey to stardom at Elland Road.
"He had dynamite in both legs! As a player, he was a
phenomenal talent," Deane revealed in an interview with FourFourTwo.
"One of the best things about Tony was that he’d score
a goal out of nothing. He often took the pressure off others, because we knew
he could save us if we needed a bit of magic.
"He was so good at centre-forward that I got moved out
wide to accommodate him. But I was happy to play alongside him. I’ve played
with some terrific strikers, but he’s up there with the very best."
Yeboah had pedigree when he swapped the financial capital of
Europe in Frankfurt for Leeds of West Yorkshire. He had won the Bundesliga
golden boot in back-to-back seasons in 1993 and 1994 respectively and was also
voted ninth in the race for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993.
His two seasons under Howard Wilkinson saw Yeboah showcase
his elite quality in England. Thirty-two goals, three hat-tricks and two Goal
of the Month awards followed and had it not been for his injuries then his
impact could've been even more emphatic.
George Graham never saw eye-to-eye with Yeboah and played
the Ghanaian international just six times. It was an unceremonious end to an
unforgettable period for Yeboah, which had seen Leeds finish fifth in
successive seasons, reach the League Cup final and qualify for the UEFA Cup.
