Leeds United have played host to a number of exceptional talents, with those having been in short supply across the last decade as they desperately scrambled to achieve promotion.
Languishing in the Championship, doomed by the financial woes of the early 2000s, a brief stint in League One truly marked a low point for the Whites, who knew just how much longer and arduous their journey had become.
So, when Marcelo Bielsa led them back to the big time, claiming the second division title in 2020, it marked a cathartic moment that promised to usher in an era of prosperity and long-lasting success. However, things are never that easy in Yorkshire.
A string of poor decisions once again sealed their fate, and the task seems to have reset. A Premier League return is now once again on their agenda.
Whilst that free-spending foolishness of the early 2000s did end up dooming the club, it was not a completely torrid period. In fact, it actually marks one of their most successful in recent history, with some of their finest-ever players having graced Elland Road around that time.
Stars such as Olivier Dacourt, Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Rio Ferdinand all joined forces to spearhead an unprecedented European run, led by hometown hero Alan Smith.
How good was Alan Smith?
Whilst not the most powerful of centre-forwards during a period littered with them, the 42-year-old marksman instead preferred to come short, linking play with his quick feet and eye for a pass.
However, that's not to suggest that his lack of physicality hindered his goalscoring, as the forward would depart the club having featured 224 times, scoring an admirable 54 and assisting 12.
During that fabled aforementioned campaign, the wiry front man would score 18 goals across all competitions, including five important strikes in the Champions League that saw them reach the semi-finals.
However, as The Athletic would put it, he was "the Leeds Hero that became Judas", trading Yorkshire for Manchester in 2004 by making one of few moves that are strictly forbidden when departing Elland Road. Even if it was born of their financial troubles and earned the club a solid £7m fee.
It was always a deal that was bound to draw a reaction, especially when former chief executive Trevor Birch would suggest "He epitomises everything Leeds United is about." However, it was one that had to be made.
After all, following relegation, which Smith noted as "probably the worst day of my career", there was hardly a myriad of clubs lining up to pay what his quality merited.
Joining the rival powerhouse though was almost guaranteed to add trophies to his already impressive career, and his role across their EFL Cup success in 2006, and Premier League win in 2007, was important.
In fact, Sir Alex Ferguson would rush to praise his new striker back in 2004: "I've been very impressed with Alan. He's an outstanding person who has a strong character and a real determination. There are some of the characteristics which have led me to liken him to Roy Keane – and that is why we were prepared to try him in the midfield role.
"The way Alan has taken the job encourages me that he can do it. He's a fantastic professional and never complains about being moved out of position".
Despite subsequent injuries resigning him to that holding midfielder role for the bulk of the rest of his career, it is still one remembered with fondness, even though the manner of his Elland Road exit still draws frustration.
And yet, despite all that has been claimed, it must be noted that the Whites would have made it a pointless debate had they instead signed Ruud van Nistelrooy ahead of their rivals once upon a time, with the Dutchman completely eclipsing Smith's career.
Did Leeds nearly sign Ruud van Nistelrooy?
As David O'Leary sought to bolster his European-chasing outfit, he clearly went out in search of elite Dutch talent. That scouting mission would bring him to none other than Mark van Bommel, for whom they reportedly readied a £15m bid.
Manchester United
219
150
30
Real Madrid
96
64
16
PSV Eindhoven
90
77
20
Hamburger SV
44
17
3
All stats via Transfermarkt
Whilst he would instead go on to feature for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the Daily Mail report in question actually highlights another target of theirs, writing: "Manager David O'Leary, who has been tracking the player for 18 months, was as impressed with Van Bommel's blossoming game back then as he was with star striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, a Leeds target well before he agreed to join Manchester United for £19m."
Given how he would fare upon trading PSV Eindhoven for Old Trafford, it is fair to say that this marked a huge gaffe from the Whites.
How good was Ruud van Nistelrooy?
Having enjoyed a prolific career laden with goals and silverware, it always felt like Ruud van Nistelrooy was bound for the pinnacle of European football.
After all, having scored 77 goals in 90 appearances in his homeland, such form was always bound to draw widespread interest.
With Ferguson's pull an unmatched one at the time, it proved a profitable venture for all parties involved, as the 47-year-old would
score 150 goals in 219 appearances before being sold on as a 30-year-old for a respectable £10m, with Real Madrid the new beneficiaries.
Having conquered England, winning every domestic trophy available to him, a tally of 64 alongside 16 assists in just 96 appearances showcased how even in the Spanish capital he thrived, having been rightly lauded as a "legend" by writer Anna Holligan.
To emphasise just how much better the 70-cap superstar was than Smith, the Leeds-born ace's whole career only saw him notch 70 goals, whereas van Nistelrooy was only six goals away from having scored over that for three different clubs.
There is little comparison between these former Man United marksmen, with journalist Joe Crann even suggesting more people need to appreciate the quality of the quintessential poacher, noting: "Seeing Ruud van Nistelrooy on the #NED bench there… Is he underrated by the modern football fan? Because I remember Van Nistelrooy being an absolute monster, and nobody seems to talk about him much now".
Perhaps he is right, and more people can start to appreciate just how great Van Nistelrooy really was. Had he joined Leeds instead of their arch-rivals, perhaps it might have been them he led to such unprecedented success.