<!-In the early 2000s, Leeds United spent heavily, which ultimately resulted in the club entering administration in 2003 and being relegated in 2004—an impact they have yet to fully overcome.
During Peter Ridsdale’s tenure, the club experienced notable successes, including a Champions League run, a victory over AC Milan at Elland Road, and Dom Matteo’s memorable header at the San Siro, all while spending beyond their means.
Leeds faced financial difficulties after failing to qualify for European competitions and were unable to cover their heavy expenditures.
This forced the club to sell players, despite having spent significant sums, including the purchase of striker Robbie Fowler.
In the summer of 2001, Leeds spent nearly £40 million on three players—£12 million for Fowler, even more for Robbie Keane, and around £10 million for Seth Johnson, who is considered one of the club’s worst signings.
Fowler is regarded as one of England’s greatest finishers. During his time at Liverpool, the England forward was
sensational, netting an impressive 171 goals in 330 appearances for his hometown club on Merseyside.
At Leeds, Fowler still scored 14 goals in 33 appearances, but his time at the club was short-lived. He was sold to Manchester City in 2002 for £6 million,
resulting in an immediate £6 million loss for Leeds. Martyn, speaking on *Undr The Cosh*, called it a bad signing.
“It’s frustrating [the administration],” he said. “As players, we weren’t fully aware of what was going on. We just showed up, trained, and played.
We’d finished third in the league and wanted to compete with Manchester United and Arsenal, so we spent big on players.
We spent a lot, including on Robbie Fowler, but you have to ask why
Liverpool would sell him to a rival? He was a fantastic footballer, but it was a hefty price tag [£12 million].
I’d faced Robbie many times in a Liverpool shirt—he could score goals with ease,” Martyn added.
“But he joined us with a hip injury, which affected his mobility. In a Leeds shirt, we saw glimpses of his quality, but he wasn’t as agile as he once was, and Liverpool had recognized that.”
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