Leeds United legend Eddie Gray believes that top quality young talent will keep leaving the club until they find their way back into the Premier League.
The Whites are set to lose Sam Byram, who is expected to complete the formalities of a move to West Ham soon, and will continue the trend of young players leaving the club for greener pastures in the Premier League.
Leeds have lost young talents such as Fabian Delph, Jonny Howson and Robert Snodgrass in the last few years to top division clubs and Gray feels the trend will continue as long as they don’t return to the Premier League.
He doesn’t believe Byram is leaving Elland Road for money and still thinks he loves the club, but a chance to move to a Premier League club is always going to be difficult to ignore as Leeds are still struggling in the Championship.
“This is going to happen again”, Gray told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
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“Nothing’s going to change until the club gets back to the Premier League. It’s not what people want to hear, but it’s a fact.
“You can talk about money but I don’t think Sam’s thinking about money.
"He’s on a good contract at Leeds.
"He’ll be thinking about getting to the highest level – the same as Delph, the same as Howson, the same as someone like Snodgrass, who’s the best player we’ve had here in 10 years.
“They didn’t go because they don’t like it at Leeds.
"Anyone who thinks that is wrong.
"I honestly believe that they loved being at the club but in the end they wanted to further their careers.”
Leeds were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2003/04 season and after entering administration in May 2007 they were deducted ten points, which led to them dropping down to the third tier of English football.
