Ross McCormack reveals if he actually regrets leaving Leeds United to join Fulham

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The year is 2014, and Massimo Cellino is preparing for an influx of new signings in his first summer at Leeds United, but the Italian president needs to finance it. Step forward, Ross McCormack.

McCormack had just enjoyed his best season in Leeds colours, his fourth season at Elland Road since his low-cost move in 2010 from Cardiff. The Rangers academy graduate would go on to captain the club.

The Scotland international had a hand in 89 goals during 158 games for Leeds, but it was his final year at Elland Road that really caught the eye. Leeds finished in a mediocre 15th place in the Championship table.

Yet, McCormack had a hand in a whopping 39 goals that season. Scoring 29, he laid on 10 assists and 38 of those came in the league. McCormack was responsible for over half of Leeds’ league goals in 2013-14.

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Ross McCormack recalls if he regrets leaving Leeds for Fulham

Despite his form and the will of the Leeds fans for McCormack to stay, Cellino eyed the cash that would allow him to bring in a new squad. Among those 15 signings were Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi.

There’s plenty of stories of how Cellino stripped the club of day-to-day essentials. Stephen Warnock says Cellino removed water for a jacuzzi, and socks. Now, McCormack says if he regrets leaving the club.

“No regrets,” McCormack told Fulham’s official podcast. “Because the squad I’d left in Leeds realistically at that point weren’t much better than even if you take the Mitroglou’s of this world out Fulham squad.

“It wasn’t as if I was leaving Leeds to come to a worse squad at Fulham. Do you know what I mean? So there wasn’t any massive massive regrets,” McCormack explained. Certainly, he got out at the right time.

The 15 signings Leeds made in 2014 with the McCormack money

As aforementioned, Cellino brought in basically, an entire new squad with the money raised from the sale of McCormack. Tom Lees, Jason Pearce, Matt Smith and Dom Poleon were also sold during that summer.

The infamous, Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet tweet, which remains the name of the BBC’s Leeds United podcast to this day. Cellino would make 15 signings, adding players that, mostly, Leeds fans had never heard of.

Cooper and Berardi were great signings, Mirco Antenucci was excellent. Marco Silvestri and Giuseppe Bellusci were stalwarts in the side. A total of 11 permanent signings were made, and six more on loan.