Leeds United suffered greatly during their 16-year stint in the Championship (and briefly League One), as this great club wallowed in the lower divisions for far longer than they were expected to after their 2004 relegation.

Whilst the Whites missed out on huge funds from not being in the Premier League, as well as the opportunity to challenge for Champions League spots which they had been competing in just years earlier, it also made the club a far less attractive proposition for current and prospective players.

Moving to Yorkshire to battle for promotion became a far less enticing proposition when top-flight clubs were involved, and over those years they lost a host of top talent due to their league status.

One such prospect who was not keen to stick around at Elland Road was Fabian Delph, who had come through the academy at the club and became a mainstay before his eventual sale.

His talent was too great to keep wallowing in League One, where his side had failed to earn promotion. As such, the youngster completed his £8m move to Aston Villa in 2009. 

Whilst the fee was impressive for a club at that level, it was a true indicator of just how far Leeds had fallen.

What happened to Fabian Delph?

It may have seemed like Simon Grayson had little say in the matter of his departure, but as a boyhood fan of the club there was surely reason to believe the now-33-year-old could have been tempted to stick around for another year or two.

Especially considering how he would go on to thrive at Villa Park, as the gem became a fine creative influence with a steely resolve in the engine room. He was even voted their player of the year in 2014, as his combinations with Christian Benteke became almost-legendary.

The apex of his career in the Midlands was arguably his winning goal over Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final, despite their hammering at the hands of Arsenal in the subsequent final.

His talent had then been recognised by the game's elite, and his subsequent move to Manchester City gave him the opportunity to win two Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, and an FA Cup.

He truly enjoyed "an amazing career", as former teammate Gabby Agbonlahor had branded it, but it all began in Leeds. Had he been convinced to give the club an extra year or so, the maestro could have been the catalyst to propel them back into the Premier League way ahead of their eventual 2020 return.

Whites supporters may look back at the situation and wonder what may have been as Delph's success in the Premier League came too early for the progression of the club as a whole.

However, his immense talent, as backed up by his achievements at Villa and with Manchester City, could have played a role in getting Leeds to the top tier quicker than they did, in 2020, and that is why selling him at that time was a blunder by Grayson.