Leeds United’s return to the Premier League was a triumphant one, after 16 long years stuck in the Championship.

Marcelo Bielsa took the reigns and made himself an Elland Road hero, and despite his dismissal last year, he will likely always remain so for his work in doing what so many others could not.

During that time away from the top flight the Whites suffered with plenty of poor personnel and even worse managers, who struggled to wake the sleeping giant and utilise the great resources to return them to the big time.

It was also a period consisting of great transfer missteps which only prolonged their stay in the second division. Simon Grayson arguably committed their biggest blunder of the time however with his utilisation of a young Kasper Schmeichel.

Everyone knows what he would go on to do with Leicester City, but the manner in which he left Yorkshire was wholly avoidable.

Why did Kasper Schmeichel leave Leeds?

Speaking on Joe Hart’s series Gloved, the Danish shot-stopper revealed exactly why he felt he had to leave Leeds despite being initially apprehensive when a move to the Foxes was touted.

He said:

“I remember about three weeks after joining Leeds thinking, ‘What have I done?!’

“It was just the wrong club for me at that time. It was very clear, very early on that it was the wrong club for me.

“It was a club where I was not accepted and with my father’s history, it was evident among the fans that they did not approve of that. I just didn’t feel welcome at all at the club, by the whole club, that’s the manager [Simon Grayson] as well. He didn’t give me any kind of confidence.”

The 6 foot 2 stalwart would make the switch in 2011 for just £1m, before going on to achieve the unthinkable by winning the Premier League title. It was a feat that, along with his subsequent FA Cup win, led journalist Saddick Adams to dub him a “proper Leicester City legend”.

Now seeing out his playing days at OGC Nice, the 36-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career in which he featured 479 times at the King Power Stadium, keeping an impressive 147 clean sheets.

To think, this success was gained whilst Leeds were desperately searching for a way back into the league that Schmeichel’s Leicester City side were winning.

How different things could have been had the youngster been nurtured rather than shown the exit door at the first opportunity.