Former Leeds United defender Danny Rose has opened up on his exit from the club in 2007 and revealed that the sacking of Kevin Blackwell played a key part in it. 

The 29-year-old was born in Yorkshire and is a product of the Leeds academy system.

Rose never made a senior appearance for the Whites and was sold to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, with Leeds having just been relegated into League One and facing administration.

The defender's move to North London has proven a successful one, seeing him make more than 200 appearances and earn 29 England caps.

Speaking on The Lockdown Tactics podcast, Rose revealed that broken promises and the sacking of Kevin Blackwell were key factors in his Elland Road exit.

He said: "Had Kevin Blackwell stayed 100 percent I would have played for Leeds, but he lost his job in September or October. Then Dennis Wise came and it was a little bit different.

"In the end, I just decided to leave. I wasn't enjoying it.

"When [Blackwell] left I wasn't thinking I was going to leave. Promises were made to me and other young players were making their debuts ahead of me.

"Then initially, me, Fab, and a couple of others, Leeds had already been relegated and we were due to all play in the last game of the season."

Rose added: "Had I played in that game then perhaps I might have stayed, but I was away with my national team at the time so I didn't get to play.

"I left at a young age. It was something I needed to do. You know when you're 15 and you're at home and your living around your mates, you're doing things that you shouldn't be doing.

"It was probably the right thing for me to do. I moved and it was difficult for the first few years. I was going home as much as I could. Now I hardly ever go back to Doncaster."

Rose's Tottenham career now appears to be nearing its end. The 29-year-old has spent the second half of the season on loan at Newcastle United and with just one year left on his current Spurs deal, the club may look to cash in on him this summer.

There have been suggestions that could mean Rose returns to his boyhood club and finally gets the chance to make his debut.

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The Verdict

It's fascinating to get this insight from Rose on his Elland Road exit and particularly the role that the sacking of Blackwell played in it.

His decision to leave the club for Spurs makes a lot of sense and has proven a wise one, so you'd imagine Whites supporters will not hold anything against him.

It will be very interesting to see whether Rose returns to Leeds this summer or in the future.