"You'd sacrifice anything to play for Leeds" - Ben Parker on playing for the club you support

By @ed_mcintyre98

16 years on since Leeds United were last playing Premier League football, 2020 could be the year the Whites return to the promised land.

After 14 years in the top flight, Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League in 2004, just three years after reaching the Champions League semi-finals, due to the club's financial crisis.

It's been 16 long years for Leeds fans since their relegation from the top flight, with supporters having to endure poor results, questionable ownership, administration, 19 managerial departures and three years playing in League One.

Leeds won promotion from League One in 2010, and after a decade of playing Championship football, the Whites look like they could return to the Premier League under the guidance of 64-year-old Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa.

And someone who knows what it's like to win promotion with Leeds United is 32-year-old Ben Parker, a defender who was part of the side that won promotion from League One ten years ago. Born in Pontefract, Parker began his career with Leeds, living out his dream by playing for the club he loves.

Speaking to All Things Leeds, Ben Parker describes what it's like to play for the club you support. He said, "You can't put it into words. Growing up in the academy since I was eight, all I ever wanted to do was play for Leeds. I was Leeds obsessed, Leeds mad. I used to have Leeds duvets, wallpaper, curtains, lampshades, every kit, everything you could think of.

"But as you get a bit older, about thirteen or fourteen, that's when it starts becoming more serious. It's a lot of hard work, with a lot of sacrifices but it's all worth it. You'd sacrifice anything to play for Leeds."

After progressing through the Leeds United academy, Parker made his full first-team debut for the Whites on the 14th of August 2007, starting in a 1-0 win away at Macclesfield Town in the League Cup. And four days later he then made his league debut, coming off the bench in a 4-1 win over Southend United at Elland Road.

"I didn't make a big deal about making my debut away at Macclesfield. For me, it was the four days later, that hit more to me at the time. Looking back on it now, Macclesfield was the biggest highlight of my whole career as that was my debut for Leeds. But being involved at Elland Road, that was a massive thing for me, I was like a kid in a sweet shop knowing I was on the bench. Just to run out, I can't put that into words. It meant everything to me."

However, Parker's pro-playing career was disrupted, with him spending many spells on the side-lines due to injuries. He eventually left Leeds in 2012, and his bad luck with injuries resulted in him playing non-league football, something he says was "massively frustrating."

Parker added, "If you get an injury and someone says six months from the off, you're obviously devastated at the time, but you know that in six months you're going to be back.

"The hardest part is when you get back out running with the physios, you do a bit of light training and then you break down and go back to square one again, and if that keeps happening, that's the most devastating aspect of it and that's what was happening with me. It was never a minor thing and it was just a vicious cycle of that. It led to me leaving (Leeds)."

After his departure from Leeds, Parker joined Guiseley, where he made a total of 67 appearances in his three-years at Nethermoor Park.

"The best thing for me, more mentally, was to get back playing again and being around the lads and that's how the Guiseley thing came about, and I absolutely loved that."

He joined fellow non-league side Harrogate Town after his time at Guiseley, where Parker made 62 appearances over two years, and afterward, he retired from playing football aged 30. Parker joined the media department at Leeds United following his retirement, where he makes regular appearances on LUTV.

"From a footballer’s point of view, you try and stay in the game because that's all you know, all you know is football. With footballers, the majority will either go into coaching, media or try and become an agent, and I've done my fair share of coaching.

"I enjoy it, I talk about football. I'm privileged because I got to play it as a career, so I try to give my opinion, and that's the best thing about football, everyone's got an opinion and no one's right or wrong.

"I love doing the media side, I'm back working with the club I support and love, and I really enjoy it. I co-commentate with Bryn Law, I've done a few games with Michael Weadock as well and I just learn from those guys as I'm fresh into this. I'd be naive and stupid if I don't learn from these guys."

You can watch the full interview with Ben Parker below.