By Amitai Winehouse (@awinehouse1)
Former Leeds United star Vinnie Jones has declared that the club’s fans made him feel “immortal” when he played for them.
In an exclusive interview, Jones revealed that when he stepped out for his debut against Middlesbrough in 1989, the reaction of the club’s fans had a huge effect on him.
He said: “The welcome I got from the Leeds fans on my debut made me feel immortal.”
He also revealed the extent to which Leeds holds a place in his heart, despite his recent successes in the world of acting.
Jones added: “The only picture I have up on my wall in Hollywood is me in a Leeds kit.”
An infamous situation, towards the end of his time with the Whites, saw him pull out a shotgun on Howard Wilkinson, but Jones has nothing but praise for the man who won Leeds’s last championship in 1992 and dragged them out of the old second division in 1990.
He continued: “Wilko is one of the best guys I’ve worked for, on and off the pitch.”
Jones has recently been made a part of the new season of Warner Brothers’ superhero series Arrow as villain Danny ‘Brick’ Brickwell, but is most famed in Yorkshire for his time at Elland Road, when he became a cult hero.
One of the side effects of his fame was the proliferation of his haircut among the young of the city, and Jones recalled that with some regret, saying: “I felt sorry for the kids who got suspended from school for having my hair cut.”
Epic Leeds hero. Of all the stars at Lucas’ testimonial, the biggest 2 cheers were for Tony and Vinnie’s….despite all our last Champions being there.
great memories of vinnie and that era , there was better players than vinnie in that team but he struck a cord with the fans and we all loved the man.
MOT MR JONES
I had the Vinnie V haircut as did most of my mates, legend