Editing Terry Venables (section)

===Leeds United===
In July 2002, Venables was released from his ITV punditry job to become [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] manager on a two-year deal, replacing the sacked [[David O'Leary]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Venables named Leeds boss |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/2107811.stm |access-date=26 November 2023 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 July 2002 |archive-date=1 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301172733/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/2107811.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Two weeks into his tenure, defender [[Rio Ferdinand]] was sold to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] for £30 million as the [[Elland Road]] club sought to clear £78 million of debt.<ref name=LeedsCareer/> The team were knocked out of the [[Football League Cup]] by second-tier [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] in the second round; [[Neil Warnock]]'s Sheffield United would also defeat Leeds in that season's FA Cup.<ref name=LeedsCareer/>

Leeds were further weakened in January 2003, when [[Jonathan Woodgate]] was sold to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] without Venables being informed, in an attempt to pay off mounting debts. Venables threatened to leave if Woodgate was sold, but was persuaded to stay by [[Peter Ridsdale]].<ref name=LeedsCareer>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/photo_galleries/2871585.stm |title=Venables' Leeds career |date=21 March 2003 |access-date=2 July 2009 |publisher=BBC Sport |archive-date=3 April 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040403235350/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/photo_galleries/2871585.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> With the club spiralling towards relegation, and amid later substantiated rumours of further player sales by the board, Venables was sacked in March 2003.<ref name="g-bbc-sport4">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/2869547.stm |title=Venables leaves Leeds |date=21 March 2003 |access-date=2 July 2009 |publisher=BBC Sport |archive-date=3 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903214939/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/2869547.stm |url-status=live}}</ref>