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Poyet: "You wanted ME!"

Gus Poyet, never one to shy away from letting his ego do the talking claimed today that the Leeds fans want HIM in charge at the club.

With the dust barely settled on Brian McDermott's appointment, Poyet who ironically was wanted by Reading to suceed McDermott reckoned that his relationship with the Elland Road fans would see him return to the club where he spent time as Dennis Wise's Assistant between 2006/07.

The Brighton boss said ahead of Saturday's clash at Elland Road: "It’s a great place. I love that place and I will probably go back one day because I enjoyed my time there so much.

"The relationship without being in charge was so powerful with the fans that I am sure I will have the opportunity to go.”

It is not the first time the man from Uruguay has talked of returning to Yorkshire, earlier this year he included Leeds in a list of clubs he wanted to manage, which included Arsenal and Chelsea. As way back as February 2012 when Leeds were in the hunt for Simon Grayson's successor, Poyet admitted he fancied the job but the timing was not right.

According to former chairman Ken Bates, Poyet wanted to return in 2008 after his time as Assistant to Juande Ramos at Spurs ended in the sack. In an interview in the Independent with Bates in September 2010 Bates revealed "Unfortunately, Dennis (Wise) and Gus Poyet thought the grass was greener elsewhere. It wasn't. And I heard about Poyet leaving on Sky Sports News. Then he wanted to come back as manager. No f*****g chance. Nobody lets me down twice."

The Yorkshire Post claimed that Poyet was sounded out as a potential replacement for Neil Warnock who was sacked following Easter Monday's dismal defeat to Derby, however the United board understandably baulked at the £2.5m compensation clause attached to Poyet's contract at the Amex.

Although I admire Poyet's advocation of good, attacking and passing football and I long suspected he was the real talent in the Wise/Poyet era, I cannot honestly say hand-on-heart that Leeds should have pursued Poyet over the man they eventually brought in Brian McDermott.

So Poyet at Leeds is nothing but a pipe-dream, even if he fails to get Brighton up this season I'm sure he will be off to a bigger club anyway this summer.

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