This page is dedicated to Division One title-winning and legendary manager Howard Wilkinson and his time at Leeds United.

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Howard Wilkinson is regarded as one of the greatest ever Leeds United managers in the club's history and remains the last English manager to win the English top flight in 1992.

 

The 44-year-old left his role as Sheffield Wednesday manager, who were in the top half of the First Division, to join Yorkshire rivals Leeds on £40,000-a-year four-year deal on October 10th 1988 following two weeks of talks with Leeds chairman Leslie Silver and managing director Bill Fotherby. Howard succeeded Billy Bremner as the man in the Elland Road hot seat and had been highly recommended for the role by fellow manager Bobby Robson. 

 

Wilkinson had been persuaded to leave Sheffield Wednesday in the top flight and drop down into Division Two and inherited a club well adrift in the Second Division and sitting third from bottom, but within 18 months he had achieved promotion to the top flight.

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​​Wilko managed to stave off the threat of relegation to Division three in his first season and managed a respectable tenth-placed finish in his first season in charge. The signing of talismanic Gordon Strachan for £300,000 from Manchester United proved instrumental, and Wilkinson instilled the 31-year-old as club captain.  

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Following promotion to the top flight, Leeds secured a fourth-placed finish with an outstanding midfield quartet of Strachan, Batty, McAllister and Speed which would go on to form the bedrock of Leeds' impending success under Wilkinson.

 

In April 1992, Howard Wilkinson had delivered the ultimate prize: the 1991/92 English First Division title as Leeds were crowned Champions of England for the first time since 1974 under the glory days under Don Revie. In doing so, Wilko became only the third Leeds manager to deliver a league title after Arthur Fairclough and Don Revie.​ To this day, Howard remains the last English manager to win the top flight league title in England.

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That title-winning campaign earned him the 1992 English Manager of the Year award, cementing his place among the game’s elite managers. Under his leadership, Leeds also lifted the 1992 Charity Shield, qualified for the Champions League and UEFA Cup, and reached the 1996 League Cup Final before being soundly beaten 0-3 by Aston Villa at Wembley.

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Wilkinson’s impact extended far beyond the dugout. He was the driving force behind the creation of The Grange, Leeds United’s first dedicated training ground and academy base at Thorp Arch. The training ground has since become a production line for top-level talent and has produced some of England's best footballing stars including James Milner, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell, Jonathan Woodgate, Paul Robinson, Fabian Delph, Aaron Lennon, Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke and Archie Gray. 

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Howard Wilkinson guided Leeds to promotion to Division One after becoming Second Division champions following a 1-0 win at Bournemouth on May 5 1990.

Leeds were crowned Champions of English football after winning Division One following a 3-2 win at Sheffield United and Liverpool defeated Manchester United 2-0 on April 26 1992.

Howard Wilkinson won the Barclays English Manager of the Year award on May 9th 1992.

Leeds defeated Liverpool 4-3 at Wembley to lift the FA Charity Shield on August 8 1992.

Leeds reached the League Cup final but were beaten 3-0 by Aston Villa at Wembley on 24 March 1996.

Howard Wilkinson was sacked on September 10 1996 and relieved of the role he had enjoyed for eight years.

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His next role, as the FA’s Technical Director, saw him apply the same long-term thinking at national level—spearheading the early stages of what would become St George’s Park, England’s national football centre.

Wilkinson also held caretaker roles with the England senior side, led the U21s, and managed Sunderland and Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua. Since 2007, he has chaired the League Managers Association, continuing to shape the professional landscape of English football.

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His OBE follows decades of service to the game—both on the touchline and behind the scenes—marking a career defined by vision, leadership, and legacy.

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Howard Wilkinson’s legacy at Leeds United is one of transformation, triumph, and long-lasting influence. His legacy lives on at Leeds United football club and amongst its adoring and passionate fan base. 

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Leeds won a total of 179 of the club's 412 matches under Howard Wilkinson, kept 143 clean sheets and won 2 league titles and 1 promotion under his leadership. 

 

​​​​​Below are some of the headline statistics behind Howard Wilkinson's reign at Leeds United.

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