Jack Marriott proved to be the reason why Leeds United didn’t reach the play-off final, with the Derby County forward producing a performance of real impact in last Wednesday’s play-off semi-final to fire the Rams to a 4-3 aggregate victory.  

Leeds had led 1-0 after the first-leg, which Marriott played just 26 minutes of, and before he was introduced in the second-leg Marcelo Bielsa’s side had doubled their aggregate lead through Stuart Dallas.

However, Marriott stepped off the bench just before half-time and had an instant impact, capitalising on a mistake from Kiko Casilla and Liam Cooper to roll the ball into an empty net.

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From there, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson would put Derby ahead, and although Dallas would level the aggregate score, it was Marriott who scored the winner late in the game at Elland Road to send the Rams to Wembley.

It could have all been very different, though, especially if Leeds had landed the service of Marriott, who according to the Sun, was a target for the club in the summer of 2018.

Of course, Marriott was the difference on Wednesday and had his goals not been there, Leeds would’ve been heading to Wembley with a 3-2 aggregate win. Someone else might’ve scored the goals Marriott did, but he was the difference and helped change where the momentum was heading in the game.

It wasn't just last Wednesday, Leeds’ problem all season has been their form in front of goal, Patrick Bamford has scored nine goals in an injury-hit campaign, whilst Kemar Roofe had 15 to his name. Both were respectable tallies, but Leeds were guilty of missing plenty of chances.

That isn’t to say that Marriott would’ve been the difference between the play-offs and automatic promotion for Leeds, having scored only nine league goals, but he scored two big ones in the play-offs and was also on the scoresheet a further three times when it mattered in the domestic cup competitions.

You can’t say how strong the link to Marriott was last summer, but Leeds were credited with an interest in the player that ended their promotion hopes for 2018/19.

And, you feel with him on board, they would have been walking down Wembley Way at the very least on May 27.