Mark Viduka remains a Leeds United icon, 25 years after joining the club, but his legacy could have been very different thanks to pop music icon Elton John.
Australian forward Mark Viduka became an instant cult hero at Elland Road, as he was parachuted into David O’Leary’s side in the summer of 2000.
Viduka is best remembered for his four goals against Liverpool, which instantly cemented his position as a firm favourite with Leeds, just months after joining the club.
Although Viduka’s time at Leeds ultimately ended on a sour note, with the club suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2003/04, he remains a popular figure among the Leeds fanbase.
However, that could have all changed had Viduka followed the example of Rio Ferdinand and joined Manchester United. 25 years on from Viduka’s four goals against Liverpool, here is how close he came to joining the Red Devils, and why Elton John nearly lifted the lid on the move.
Mark Viduka came close to leaving Leeds United for Manchester United
Speaking to ESPN in April 2020, Viduka revealed just how close he came to joining Leeds’ arch-rivals during his time at Elland Road.
According to Viduka, he attended an Elton John concert on the day he met with representatives from Manchester United, speaking to the pop icon.
Having told Elton John about his meeting, Viduka was shocked when the singer dedicated a song to him and came close to declaring the meeting to the Manchester crowd.
Viduka said: “I’m there with Jacob Burns, my Leeds teammate and fellow Aussie, as we got ushered into his dressing room.
“As we enter, Elton swings around on a swivel chair and says: ‘Mark Viduka, you’re from Melbourne — I love that place!’ I was nervous, so I babbled on about my meeting with the Red Devils that day and a possible move.
“Instead of going to our seats to watch the concert, Elton gets us to watch it at the side of the stage. About three songs in, he says: ‘I want to dedicate this next one to my good friend Mark, who is in Manchester today to make a big decision.’
“I’m thinking: ‘S—, please don’t say any more!’ Thank god he didn’t. I didn’t sign for Man United — I think I loved living in Leeds too much at the time.”
Mark Viduka’s Premier League record still stands
Thankfully for Leeds fans, Viduka did not become a third player from the O’Leary era to move to Manchester United, with both Ferdinand and Alan Smith making the switch across the Pennines.
Viduka’s time at Leeds was a veritable highlights package, with his four goals against Liverpool representing the high-water mark.
According to LUFCData, Viduka remains the only Leeds player to score four goals in a single Premier League game, with his other Leeds hat-trick coming against Charlton in 2003.
Joel Piroe remains the most recent player to score four in a game, as he helped Leeds secure promotion against Stoke last season.
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