Leeds United climbed top of the First Division table as Rod Wallace made his mark in 1991

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Rod Wallace scored his first league goal for Leeds United on this day in 1991 as the Whites climbed back to the top of the First Division table.

Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson brought Rod Wallace to the club at the beginning of Leeds’ title-winning 1991/92 season, paying £1.6 million to sign him and his brother, Ray, from Southampton.

Wallace would go on to be one of Leeds’ defining players in the early years of the Premier League, as he played over 200 games for the club before leaving in 1998 to join Scottish giants Rangers.

The Lewisham-born forward would go on to score 11 First Division goals in his first year at Elland Road, playing 34 times as the Whites went on to claim their most recent league title.

His first league goal for Leeds came on this day in 1991, as Wilkinson’s side returned to the summit of the top flight thanks to a routine win over QPR.

Rod Wallace fires Leeds United to the top of the First Division table

Leeds had started the 1991/92 season well under Wilkinson, losing just once in their opening 15 games before they welcomed QPR to Elland Road.

Although Leeds did not produce a vintage performance in their ninth win of the season, they had enough to claim a win to leapfrog Manchester United at the top of the table.

Flying full-back Mel Sterland opened the scoring for Leeds in somewhat fortunate fashion, as his long-range free-kick found the back of the net.

Sterland scored some spectacular goals for Leeds. However, the one against QPR is not necessarily one of them. The right back lined up a speculative effort from just beyond thirty yards out. The ball crept into the bottom corner via a deflection, which gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Wallace then reacted after a corner from captain Gordon Strachan was nudged on in the box, firing home from close range at the back post.

The victory lifted Leeds onto 33 points, one point ahead of arch-rivals Manchester United in second place, with a game in hand.

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QPR goal helped Rod Wallace overcome ‘flop’ label at Leeds United

Given the significant fee that Leeds paid to secure the Wallace brothers, expectations were high for their move to Elland Road.

However, having failed to find the net until November, the pressure was on Wallace to find his scoring form for the club as they looked to claim a league title win.

Speaking to the Footballers’ Lives podcast in 2020, Wallace admitted that he was feeling the pressure at Leeds, until he finally got his much-needed goal against QPR.

Wallace said: “Pre-season was fine. Didn’t have a problem with pre-season. But during the season, at the start, it was a bit difficult. I didn’t really score too many in the first, like, two, might be more than that, maybe five or six games or something. I’ll have to have a look.

“The goals weren’t coming at the time. I was the record signing at the time, £1.6 million or something like that. You know, you get used to it in the papers, where you’re flopping and all that sort of stuff.

“And then I got injured. I tore my adductor muscle and had a hernia after that. So I missed a few games, and then I came back. I got my first goal against QPR, and then it spurred me on after that, from that first goal. Goals always give you confidence, so it just went on from there, really.”