Although Jermaine Wright may not go down as one of the greatest players to represent Leeds United, he secured his place in the record books in the tumultuous 2004 season.
Having suffered relegation from the Premier League the season before, the Leeds squad for their first season in the Championship featured a ragtag bunch of players, signed mainly on loans and free transfers.
As Leeds managed the financial fallout of the Peter Ridsdale era, they managed to fight off competition to sign Wright from Everton, after he had caught the eye with Ipswich.
However, after featuring regularly in the opening weeks of the season under Blackwell, Wright’s career at Elland Road stalled, as he left in 2006 having only made 38 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Despite his short time at the club, Wright claimed one piece of Leeds United history, as he scored the fastest goal by a Leeds player in November 2004.
Jermaine Wright scored the fastest goal in Leeds United history
Leeds met Burnley on the third of November 2004, with the Whites sitting in 15th place in the Championship table, one place ahead of Burnley, but level on points with their opponents.
Burnley would end the day ahead of Leeds, after claiming a 2-1 victory in which Leeds were largely to blame for their own downfall.
The high point for Leeds came just 10 seconds into the game, as Jermaine Wright opened the scoring with his record-breaking goal.
Leeds kicked off, attacking towards the South Stand. The ball made its way back to Matthew Kilgallon, playing at left-back, who promptly launched the ball high into the frigid autumn air.
Brian Deane flicked the ball onto David Healy, who found Jermaine Wright in space with a neat header on the edge of the box. Wright fired home with 10 seconds on the clock to secure his place in the history books.
The rest of the game is forgettable from a Leeds perspective. A defensive error allowed Lee Roche to equalise before winger Richard Duffy poked home to give the visitors the lead.
Journeyman forward Julian Joachim came closest to equalising for the home side, but his shot bounced off the bar and post to safety.
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The five fastest Leeds United goals
According to LUFCData, Wright’s strike against Burnley sneaked into the top spot on the list of the fastest-ever Leeds goals by just one second.
Mark Viduka held the honour before Wright, having scored after just 11 seconds at the Valley in a 2-1 win against Charlton under David O’Leary in 2001.
The five fastest goals in Leeds United history:
- Jermaine Wright – 10 seconds v Burnley, 2004
- Mark Viduka – 11 seconds v Charlton, 2001
- Souleymane Doukara – 12 seconds v Ipswich, 2016
- Harold Brook – 13 seconds v Blackpool, 1956
- Rod Belfitt – 13 seconds v Ipswich, 1968
One second behind Viduka is another more recent Leeds player, as Souleymane Doukara scored after 12 seconds of a 2-1 defeat against Ipswich in 2016.
Prior to Viduka’s goal at Charlton, the record had stood since 1956 when Harold Brook scored after 13 seconds of a 5-0 win against Blackpool. The only player to come close to Brook in the 20th century was Rod Belfitt, who scored after 13 seconds of a 3-2 win over Ipswich in 1968.
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