Danny Webber ⭑ From A-Z since '92

This is part of my (eight year long, it'll fly by) attempt to write about every Leeds United player since 1992. For more about why I'm doing this, go back to Aapo Halme, and to read all the players so far, browse the archive here.

It's not Danny Webber's fault that Neil Warnock has a 'type'. In some ways it even does them both credit that Webber was Warnock's first signing at Leeds United. Okay, so Michael Brown was already there and Paddy Kenny was busy. But Warnock knew Webber well, and he owed something to a player who was having no luck.

Webber wasn't what any Leeds United fan wanted, however. A former Manchester United trainee, and an ongoing Manchester United season ticket holder. He was a striker, so Warnock obviously loved playing him on the left wing, where Elland Road was already suffering through Webber's Old Trafford youth teammate, Danny Pugh, failing to make us pretend Max Gradel had never happened.

Warnock was talking optimistically about taking the players chairman Ken Bates' hadn't sold yet up through the play-offs, while also talking about a break clause he'd negotiated for summer in case things didn't work out. Webber was also on a short term contract, March to April, thirteen games. As hard as fans tried to look forward to the future, the short term was making it harder to believe Leeds United had one.

Danny Webber's future could have been very different. Alex Ferguson rated him highly enough that, while Webber was recovering in hospital with a broken leg, he phoned the young player to tell him an offer of a three year contract still stood. But Webber, once he was fit, told Alex Ferguson he was turning his offer down. He'd been stuck in the reserves behind Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha, which was fair enough, but also Diego Forlan and David Bellion, which was not. Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney were soon arriving. Webber decided to take his chances of playing first team football for Watford.