The final day of the 2009/10 season is one that will live long in the memory for Leeds United fans.
Simon Grayson's team had been in a commanding position at the turn of the year, before going to Old Trafford in the FA Cup and beating Manchester United 1-0.
While that moment was a high point in the season, the Whites' league form took a nose dive from that point and Norwich City went on to win the league. Leeds were then left desperately clinging on to second place and they managed to go into the final day knowing that a win would guarantee promotion.
Leeds won 2-1 with goals from Jonny Howson and Jermaine Beckford but the game was not without huge drama as Max Gradel was sent off in the first half before Leeds fell behind.
Michael Doyle was one of the starting eleven that day and he revealed how he felt as events unfolded as he spoke to the official Leeds United podcast.
"It was like Roy of the Rovers. To go down ten men last game of the season and we had to win to guarantee automatic promotion then Max got sent off and we went 1-0 down, you couldn’t write it but that was Leeds United for me in a sense."
The midfielder said the Elland Road crowd played a major role in changing the atmosphere and leading the team to complete the comeback they needed.
"When we needed that crowd the place just erupted second half," he added.
Doyle also spoke about how the side's form fell away so badly after the victory over Manchester United, saying: "I remember thinking ‘if we end up in the playoffs we ain’t going up’ because we were so out of form. We should have won that league. After that Old Trafford game so many players came in on loan, the squad got massive and we fell out of form."
Alongside Beckford - who was captain for the day - Doyle was one of the players who had to pull Gradel away from the referee after his red card left him distraught and on this, the Irishman said:
"We were so up for the game, we felt really confident and then Max had a moment. It just happens. He was a brilliant lad and to be fair the lads absolutely pulled him out or he’d have been lynched after the game.
However, Leeds were able to recover and he said it was the Rovers goal which was the first catalyst as it caused the fans to burst into life and roar their team into action. However, the introduction of Robert Snodgrass and Jonny Howson from the bench was also key and it was Howson who scored the equaliser.
"The minute they scored something changed.
"Jonny and Snoddy changed the game from us when they came on and when it went 2-1 we knew, "that’s it, we’re there.""
