Ricky Gervais spoke about Leeds United on Stick to Football [Credit: The Overlap on YouTube]

Ricky Gervais makes Leeds United admission - 'I'm fascinated'

Jonny is a University of Leeds journalism graduate who became part of the FootballInsider team in Spring 2024, and recently worked as Head of Media for Widnes Vikings Rugby League club. Writing as a freelance reporter and commentator for The Sporting News and StatsPerform, he has covered matches in competitions including the FIFA Men's and Women's World Cups, as well as the Champions League, Women's Euro 2022, Six Nations and the Rugby Union World Cup.

Published on:

28 Nov 2024, 5:40 am

Leeds United documentary Take Us Home was one of several Ricky Gervais watched to become "hooked" on football for the first time in years.

Speaking on Stick to Football (28 November), Gervais said that Take Us Home, as well as documentaries produced by Sunderland, Manchester City and Arsenal helped him reconnect with the sport in 2020.

Take Us Home documented United's first two seasons under Marcelo Bielsa's management, with the 2018/19 season shown across six episodes and the title-winning 2019/20 campaign in a further two.

Gervais said: "What really got me back into (football), was a documentary, is it Sunderland Till I Die? The fact that it was like a religion to them, the whole community was involved, I thought it was a really well-made thing.

"I watched the Man City one, then I watched the Leeds one, then I watched the (Mikel) Arteta one and I was hooked, and now I'm fascinated with it – I watch every game that's on TV, I absolutely love it again."

Leeds United influence spread far and wide via Take Us Home

If ever there was an era which deserved documenting more than most at Elland Road, it's the three-year spell which saw Bielsa transform the club from Championship no-hopers to the Premier League.

Although Bielsa's time in charge ended with his sacking in 2022 – from which the club are still feeling the repercussions – there's no denying that his time in charge produced some absolutely massive moments.

Ricky Gervais discussed Leeds United on the Stick to Football podcast [Credit: The Overlap on YouTube]

Events such as 'Spygate', United's FIFA Fair Play Award-winning match against Aston Villa and play-off semi-final against Derby County all came in the 2018/19 campaign, providing plenty of talking points.

The covid-19 lockdown, delayed end to the season and eventual Championship title win the following season provided a fitting end to the documentary, finally restoring the Whites to the Premier League.

Having witnessed the lot during the same lockdown, it's no wonder Gervais became hooked on the sport once again, and with United now back in the second tier, 'Take Us Home' is the rallying cry once again.

In other Leeds news, one out-of-favour United star looks set to make an inevitable exit from Elland Road, albeit not straight away.

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Marcelo Bielsa