The name Kalman Kovacs may not mean a great deal to many Leeds United’s fans, but the Hungarian almost changed the course of the club’s history.
In 1989, the forward moved from his home country to sign for Auxerre in France, and had a record of almost a goal in every two games for them. That saw Leeds United take notice and they took the player on trial to Yorkshire, with the club deciding on whether to sign Kovacs or another, now much better known, option.
Speaking to L’Equipe about his career, Kovacs was asked if there was a story he’d like to tell which he hadn’t shared before, and the French newspaper quote him as saying: “In January 1992, I left for a trial in Leeds. Everything is going well and at the end the manager asks me what I think of Eric Cantona. He’s a great player! He tells me that he will meet him next week and that afterwards he will choose. And he took Cantona in my place! No big deal. I wanted to go home to the Kispest Honved, where Auxerre loaned me. I scored ten goals in ten matches and returned to France, to Valenciennes.”
Cantona’s time at Elland Road would be relatively short but certainly eventful, with the Frenchman winning the league title with Leeds United in 1992. He was a fan favourite yet things weren’t going well with his relationship with others at the club, and when Manchester United moved to sign him months after the title win, the Whites allowed the move to happen.
The transfer was hugely controversial and Cantona went on to be a club legend at Old Trafford. Had Leeds plumped for Kovacs instead, the following years may have been very different for both English clubs.
