Ranking the 7 best Leeds United wingers in the 21st Century - Max Gradel = 4th | OneFootball

Many fantastic wingers have come through the doors at Elland Road over the years, with Crysencio Summerville currently the best Leeds United have to offer.

It looks set to be an exciting campaign for the club in the second tier this season, with the Whites expected to be battling it out for promotion under the two-time Championship winner with Norwich City.

The likes of Summerville, Dan James, WIlly Gnonto, and Jaidon Anthony are on hand to help them do that this season, joined by a clutch of other new signings this summer.

However, how do they compare to other recent wingers in Leeds' history? Here, we take a look at the best seven wingers of the 21st Century and rank them. Do you agree? Would you change anyone in this ranking?

7 Luis Sinisterra

The Colombian was electric the season before Leeds signed him, earning the UEFA Conference League’s inaugural Young Player of the Season award and lighting up the Eredivisie along the way as well. He was almost ever present for Dutch giants Feyenoord, bagging 23 goals and 14 assists in 49 games in all competitions.

That was a haul which Leeds were not perhaps expecting for him to replicate in the Premier League, but Leeds fans had hoped that he would be a more regular fixture within the starting XI.Perhaps if he had, the Whites would have staved off relegation, with Sinisterra notching seven goals and one assist from 22 games in all competitions. He has since scored for the again this season, before a season-long loan move to AFC Bournemouth transpired on deadline day.

6 Harry Kewell

A player who, on natural talent alone, would rank much higher on this list, but who tarnished his legacy following a move to Galatasaray, after he departed for the Turkish club in 2008 from Liverpool. Kewell's move was controversial as he was a Leeds player when two of their fans (Chris Loftus and Kevin Speight) were murdered in attacks before a UEFA Cup semi-final against Galatasaray in Istanbul in April 2000.

Kewell was much loved during his stint in West Yorkshire prior to that transfer, though. The Australian came through the club's academy and played 236 times for Leeds United, scoring 61 times and providing a further 27 assists. He was a key player during their seasons spent in European competition either side of the millennia. The 44-year-old is now a first-team coach with Scottish giants Celtic.

5 Jack Harrison

Another player who remains contracted to Leeds currently, Harrison enjoyed three successive loans to Elland Road from Manchester City, but the third of which contained an option-to-buy clause, which Leeds activated in 2021. Harrison has since gone on to make 206 appearances for Leeds in his five-year stint, scoring 34 goals and registering a further 32 assists in the process. However, he took some time to get going at Elland Road, but became a reliable contributor as he developed each season under Marcelo Bielsa.

He continued to be a key player following Bielsa's departure but has since joined Everton in the wake of Leeds' relegation, in order to remain a top-flight player. The 26-year-old joined the Toffees this summer on a season-long loan, meaning his career with Leeds may not be over yet. Harrison has five years left on his deal with Leeds until the summer of 2028.

4 Max Gradel

Gradel was electric on the wing for Leeds, with his lightning pace making him an absolutely devastating player for the Whites at both League One and Championship level. The Ivorian was part of a brilliant frontline during Simon Grayson’s tenure and picked up the Player of the Season award in his final full season where Leeds scored 81 goals as a team in the league, which speaks for itself.

An integral part of the team with his pace and finishing providing all sorts of problems and headaches for opposing full-backs. The 35-year-old continues to play now, with Gaziantep FK in the Turkish Süper Lig, but will always be remembered fondly at Leeds, having scored or assisted 38 goals in 84 games for the club.

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3 Robert Snodgrass

Snodgrass earnt himself a strong reputation at Elland Road, with many Leeds fans coining the phrase "keep calm and give it to Snoddy." This was especially true during his final season in League One, where he registered 15 assists. Overall, he scored 41 times for the club and registered another 40 assists in 191 games in West Yorkshire.

He was briefly captain, too, and his left foot was a wand and the 36-year-old made up for his slight lack of pace with quality deliveries and cutting in his trademark style from the right to shoot or cross towards the back post. His set-piece deliveries were also top drawer, and the Scot is now a free agent, having recently left Hearts.

2 Lee Bowyer

Another player who was synonymous with Leeds’ success to head to the latter stages of the Champions League around the millennium, Bowyer made a fantastic 236 appearances for the club, where he scored 53 goals and notched a further 18 assists, as a right-winger or attacking-midfielder.

In terms of Leeds’ Champions League journey, Bowyer was integral under David O'Leary as he was collecting Player of the Season awards in the seasons Leeds made it to the latter stages of the competition. The most memorable moment for him would be a free-kick against Barcelona, as his effort looped into the top corner after just five minutes to give Leeds the lead in a 1-1 draw. He has since retired and turned to coaching with Birmingham City, Charlton Athletic, and now Montserrat.

1 Raphinha

On talent alone, it had to be Raphinha or Kewell in top spot, but the former left on far better terms in recent years, so gets the nod here. Raphinha’s dazzling form in the 2021-22 season helped keep Leeds in the Premier League and earned him his dream move to Barcelona for a reported fee of around £55million, per Sky Sports. The tricky Brazilian international spent only two seasons with the club, but wrote his name in Elland Road folklore forever in securing survival.

He scored 17 and assisted a further 12 in his 67 games for Leeds and his career has gone from strength to strength since, scoring 10 goals and collecting 12 assists last season for Barcelona in 50 games, whilst also making himself a regular for the Brazil national team. Which included an inclusion in their World Cup squad last November.