After two consecutive fifth-placed finishes in the Premier League in 1993-94 and 1994-95, Leeds United were well-placed to go on and push themselves back into the top four.
A solid start to the 1995-96 season saw Leeds win seven of their opening 13 Premier League games and losing only three times. The Whites tried to build on it by entering the transfer market for a big signing.
They got one. Parma’s Tomas Brolin had scored three goals at the 1994 World Cup as Sweden finished in third place, and Leeds struck a £4.5m deal to land a player largely seen as one of the best in Europe.
But any Leeds fan will know Brolin’s story. Dubbed the ‘baby-face assassin’, Brolin was seen as the ideal cover for Tony Yeboah and had been expecting to play centrally under manager Howard Wilkinson.
Tomas Brolin admitted he played badly on purpose for Leeds
Injury however, meant Brolin – who scored a goal while laying face down in a 6-2 loss to Sheffield Wednesday – was forced to play wide right. Something that he did not agree with, and angered him.
Despite that, Brolin scored a brace in a 2-0 win over West Ham on January 12, 1996. But he was still being played wide right and in the next game, Brolin decided he would play badly on purpose against Liverpool.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2012, 15 years after he played his last game for The Whites, Brolin said that he chose to play “rubbish” on purpose against Liverpool. He did, and The Reds eased to a huge 5-0 win.
“I was the one who was going to play the decisive pass to Tony Yeboah. Everything was great so I signed.
It may not sound that bad, to be a wide midfielder at Leeds, but the defensive responsibilities I had…”
“At Leeds I was going to run up and down the right like an idiot. That wasn’t me. So I decided I was going to be p***-poor against Liverpool. Brolin was, as he admits, “rubbish” as Leeds were beaten by Liverpool.
What happened to Tomas Brolin after his dismal Leeds spell?
Brolin flopped at Leeds. Costing a pretty penny, the Swede only ever managed 20 appearances in total – failing to score after his brace against West Ham. He spent the second half of his Leeds spell out on loan.
Temporary moves to both Zurich and back to Parma, before a permanent move to Crystal Palace which lasted just six months. One outing for a Swedish minnow in the fourth tier was next, before retirement.
Retiring at the age of 28, Brolin has since been seen playing professional poker while owning half of a hoover company which is said to be worth millions. A shame his career was largely, swept under the rug.
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