Garry Monk has revealed that he never planned to leave Leeds United. Monk was manager of the Whites last season and was praised for the work that he did as he led the club to a seventh place finish on the Championship standings.
Many Leeds fans would have been hoping for him to stay at the club and help them challenge for promotion. He however opted to join Middlesbrough during the summer after failing to see eye to eye with the Leeds board.
The 38 year old now makes his first return to Elland Road since departing from the Whites on Sunday as he leads Boro to play against the Yorkshire giants in a Championship clash.
“I know the question will always be there because I was Leeds United manager last season,” Monk told Sky Sports. “But this game isn’t about me, it’s about my team and that’s all me and my players are focused on.
“Of course my memories of Leeds are fantastic. I always expected to be there longer than one season, but now every owner has their views on what they want to do and it wasn’t right for me.
“[I felt] there wasn’t any intention to give me a long-term future at the club and as a manager you have to make a decision, I made that decision and it put me out of work, but you have to do what you believe in and that was the only reason I left the club.”
