Luciano Becchio has been discussing his relationship at Leeds United with Jermaine Beckford, with the Argentine revealing he had a very good relationship with his strike partner.
Leeds paired Beckford with Becchio at the beginning of the 2008/09 season, with the pair notching a combined 52 goals as the Whites reached the League One play-offs.
The following season Beckford (31 goals) and Becchio (17 goals) helped fire Leeds past Manchester United in the FA Cup and back into the Championship at the third time of asking.
Beckford would leave on the back of scoring the winner against Bristol Rovers to secure promotion, but Becchio continued on at Leeds until 2013, when he left for Norwich City.
Recently, Becchio has been discussing all things Leeds United with The Athletic, with the striker talking about his relationship with Beckford over that two-year period.
He said: “My relationship with Jermaine was very good, right from the start. He’s a very open and generous person.
“At first the language issue made things complicated but he tried to help me and always explained things very patiently.
“I think that was reflected in the way we were on the pitch — the good harmony and the understanding we had with each other.”
Since Beckford and Becchio fired Leeds into the Championship back in 2010, the club have remained there, without taking the next step into the Premier League.
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The Verdict
The relationship between Beckford and Becchio was just what Leeds needed to get out of the third-tier. The pair had contrasting styles, but it worked and allowed Beckford more space to punish opposition.
He took a lot of the glory with more goals, but Becchio was instrumental in getting the best out of him and it is only underlined when you consider Beckford’s true struggles after Leeds.
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