FALSE 10: Quarter of a century later, Barclaysmen are alive again

If you're a serious Premier League fan, then you're undoubtedly aware of the term 'Barclaysman', which took social media by storm a few years ago and continues to spark debates on Twitter (sorry, no room for X and exes here).

Football fans worldwide use it to describe former EPL players who left a unique, significant mark in the English top tier back in the day. It's not about the best players from the era between 2001 and 2016, when Barclays Bank was the league's official sponsor. It's about cult heroes.

Rory Delap, for instance, whose only qualities were those notorious long throw-ins, or Jay-Jay Okocha, whose charisma and dribbles are still living vividly in the memory of not only Bolton Wanderers' supporters.

It has nothing to do with trophies and accolades, as you see. It's about the men whose legacies and appearances encapsulate that particular era.

And if there's one team, not just a player but a whole team, which should be labelled 'Barclaysmen', that belongs to that precise period - then it's definitely Leeds United.

Kids of today can't imagine what a breath of fresh air that group of rebellious youngsters - led by their boss David O'Leary - actually was. In the early days of the 21st century, it was all about the Manchester United-Arsenal rivalry and the never-ending strategic battle of their commanders, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. Pre-Mourinho Chelsea and Liverpool were nowhere near the level to do them any harm, and Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle didn't lack charm. Still, a shortage of extra quality and squad depth prevented them from grabbing any silverware.

At some point, it seemed almost like a theatre play, with all the roles and scripts written and allocated in advance, with no room for change.

And then came Leeds United.

The Yorkshire side, mostly made up of academy players and a couple of prominent youngsters brought in from other clubs, jumped onto that stage, interrupted the play, and acted as a group of rebels.

Young, brave, and somewhat reckless, they couldn't care less about Fergie's European champions or Wenger's mighty foreign legion.

You had to show up at Elland Road and dig deep, faced with the roar of the crowd, to earn your points. On the other hand, O'Leary's boys were maybe even more inspired when taking on the Premier League giants at their grounds.

Arsenal got their portion of beating by these young thugs at their mythical Highbury as the visitors won 2-1! Manchester United got away cheaper in the same campaign, drawing 1-1 at the Old Trafford.

Except for veteran keeper Nigel Martin and experienced striker Robbie Fowler, brought from Liverpool before the start of that 2001-02 season, Leeds were standing on the shoulders of their prodigies: Rio Ferdinand and Jonathan Woodgate in the defence; Lee Bowyer, Alan Smith, Ian Harte in the midfield; Harry Kewell in the attack.

FALSE 10: ‘Jim can‘t fix this‘

The season before that, they reached the Champions League semi-finals (where they were knocked out by Valencia) and finished their EPL campaign in third place. As unbelievable as it might seem from this perspective, it wasn't enough in those days to earn a spot in the UCL next season, and that was the crack in the hole which primarily caused Leeds United's relatively quick downfall. Then-chairman Peter Ridsdale didn't have enough money for all those acquisitions, so he opted for significant loans, putting all the risk and hopes on their potential UCL qualifications.

Once there was no Champions League football, the crisis was inevitably knocking on the door.

Still, well into the 2001-02 season, things were looking more than promising. Actually, it was so good that young Rio Ferdinand, 23 at that time, was named the Premier League Player of the Month in November. Keep this crucial info in your mind, we'll return to it shortly...

Alas, then came that bloody December.

A court sentenced Woodgate to 100 hours of community service, while Bowyer was cleared of charges for a brutal beating of a young man in front of a nightclub a year and a half prior.

Woodgate was never the same after that, and Bowyer - despite being acquitted - was fined by the club for bringing Leeds into disrepute. He initially resisted the punishment, leading to his temporary suspension and placement on the transfer list.

All of a sudden, all the stories about Leeds were off-the-pitch related.

FALSE 10: And after all, you're my Wonderwall

There was even a joke spreading around, a letter printed in The Daily Mail that said: "Leeds footballers wearing gloves isn't a fashion statement. It's so they don't leave any fingerprints."

A genuine fall from grace.

FALSE 10: Hollow swan song and last dance without grace

The situation unfolded quickly and horribly for the club that was, until recently, everyone's favourite No.2 in the Barclays Premier League. Rio was sold to Manchester United a few days after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, while Woodgate eventually ended up at Real Madrid (and had one of the worst debuts in the club's history, which is worth a story itself) and Bowyer at Newcastle (making headlines for another vicious fight, only this time with his teammate Kieron Dyer, on the pitch).

Leeds finished the season fifth, and that panic selling couldn't stop the storm that was about to take them straight to the Championship the very next season. Another emerging talent, James Milner, made stellar progress despite those circumstances, but it was a one-way street going directly to the abyss.

OK, but what on Earth - we hear you saying at this point - it has to do with the present moment, and with mediocre Leeds United of today, which are about to face Everton on Monday?

Actually - a lot.

Precisely 25 years later, a quarter of a century after Rio Ferdinand's Player of the Month award, another of the Whites got the same. A few days ago, Dominic Calvert-Lewin received his EPL Player of the Month award for his remarkable performances during December. For two and a half decades, not a single Leeds United player made such an impact in the league that is no longer named after Barclays Bank, just like the club itself, which is far away from those short but memorable glory days.

Still, the ongoing talks about Calvert-Lewin's deserved Three Lions' call-up for the upcoming World Cup can't go unnoticed and revive the memory of that 2002 and Rio Ferdinand. And of that good, old rebellious Leeds United, who dared to dream big on the wings of their high-flying individuals before falling apart.

Oh, and when it comes to history repeating - do you know who won the Premier League title race that season? Yep, Arsenal.

By: BOJAN BABIC