Manchester United face Leeds United for the second time in a row this week, starting with this evening’s Premier League match at Old Trafford.
On Wednesday, as the two sides visit Leeds for their 29th overall clash in the Premier League, Heaton told matchday program United Review that football’s oldest rivalry has a unique atmosphere.
“I think you can feel the flame too. In the end, it is a game with three points, but the fact that it is a long-standing rivalry cannot be avoided.”
“How important this game is to the club, the players and the fans, you can always feel through the atmosphere, whether it is home or away. Yeah, I guess there’s always a little bit of magic in the air.”
“I think playing Leeds twice in a row will definitely make for the best week ever. Obviously we will try to achieve positive results in both games.”
“I played a lot against Leeds. There were some really good matches.”
“Because it was a rivalry, there were a few more problems. It was a game that made me want to be a footballer.”
“I want to play in a good atmosphere, I want to experience fierce competition, and I want to play in a good team. It was like that when I was a youth player.”
Tom Heaton’s memorable match against Leeds was in the 2015 Championship match. He then played his first match as captain of Burnley.
Heaton said the match against Leeds was a “proud moment” for him and a key catalyst in his career that eventually led him back to United in 2021.
“Coach Sean Dyche gave me the captain’s armband. We were aiming for promotion at the time.”
“It was an expedition to Elland Road, and I remember it as 1-1. It was a very proud moment for me to captain Burnley. Burnley is also a club with history and tradition.”
“It was a very proud moment to be captain. It was good that we ended up winning the league and getting promoted back to the Premier League. It was a really good start to the season.”
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