Eunan O’Kane: Leeds United’s Emerald Engine

A name that is probably only remembered by the most die-hard Leeds United fans, Eunan O’Kane became somewhat of a cult hero during his time at the club during a specific time period.

Signed on deadline day in the 2016 summer transfer window, while away on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, O’Kane became an instrumental feature under manager Garry Monk.

Primarily used as a deep-lying midfielder, he became known for his passing game, forming a technically tidy duo alongside a young Kalvin Phillips.

Having joined from Bournemouth with whom he helped achieve promotion from the Championship and latterly survival in the Premier League for a fee believed to be in the region of £500,000 to £1 million, O’Kane settled in quickly at Elland Road.

His key strengths were undoubtedly his passing precision, ability to dictate tempo and composure under pressure, while his debut was on 13 September of that year in a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers.

O’Kane’s introduction to the team blended nicely with an improvement in the club’s fortunes which saw them climb up to sixth in the Championship and he was a key part in Leeds United’s Carabao Cup campaign that season when they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at Anfield at the quarter-final stage.

O’Kane Well-Respected Among Fans

Within just a few weeks, the player earned the fans’ respect for his positive influence on the team. His steady head, tidy approach and professionalism were traits that modelled his game at Elland Road and he became a favourite of manager Monk’s.

Such was his reliability within the team; I seem to remember never really having any concerns about him – he was never absolutely amazing, but always at least, consistently average – he rarely put a foot wrong, though I realised how valuable he was to us when a groin injury kept him out from November 2016 to the following January.

Someone who never seemed to “pull up trees”, yet he was conspicuous by absence during his days on the treatment table. The composure he had on the ball and ability to recycle possession easily showed me, he was essentially a vital cog for us and acted almost as the essential balance between defence and attack.

Even while he was injured, he never really seemed to let this get him down and his presence in the dressing room and among the squad was felt. Indeed, he seemed to become somewhat of a mentor the likes’ of Phillips and a young Ronaldo Vieira (who remembers him?!).

His positive attitude I think was great for squad morale and probably something that Monk was really grateful for. As such, he swiftly became a favourite among fans – I know that I took to him quickly, realising that he was a valuable signing for us. Having helped to take Bournemouth up, I thought his experience would help a lot and he seemed to settle in well.

Contract Extension And Development

Having narrowly missed out on the play-offs and with Monk (in a shock move), leaving, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding us for a while and I was quite worried about what would happen. Nevertheless, O’Kane, as one of the standout performers for us under Monk was offered a two-year contract extension in August 2017.

It appeared that he was a key part of new manager Thomas Christiansen’s plans and he started the 2017/18 campaign as a first choice midfielder alongside Phillips as we earned successive victories.

However, a drop in form saw him lose his place to Vieira and Adam Forshaw the following January after he, in completely uncharacteristic fashion, was sent off for a headbutt on Jonas Knudsen during our 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town on 13th January 2018, earning him a three-match suspension.

Following his return from suspension, new boss Paul Heckingbottom named him captain; something I wasn’t too sure about personally. I personally think the added responsibility affected his game – something I noticed in a particular encounter with Sheffield United when he conceded a penalty.

Following Years And Eventual Exit

After Marcelo Bielsa’s appointment in May 2018, O’Kane was left out of the squad. Something, in hindsight, I’m probably not too surprised about. I guess the Argentine reflected on the previous season and wasn’t particularly encouraged by the negative side of his game from a conduct perspective.

As such, he accepted a move to Luton Town in the August, though after just three games into his spell he suffered a grim double leg fracture (tibia and fibia) in a game against Bristol Rovers and came back to us.

It was a long rehabilitation, though he eventually returned to Luton in January 2020 for 18 months, however, he was never the same player and further injury niggles prevented him from getting regular playing time and he ultimately retired with us releasing him at the end of his contract in the summer of 2021.

Illustration Of O’Kane’s Leeds United Statistics