Angus Kinnear: What is outgoing Leeds United chief executive’s legacy?

They were the most contentious issues but on the upside he was very involved in bringing Marcelo Bielsa to Leeds United.

I remember calling him and he was unable to say where he was as he was on his way out to meet the Argentine in South America.

I think a lot of credit went to sporting director Victor Orta, who suggested it, but Kinnear must take some of it too for helping the deal through and granting Bielsa’s requests to enhance the training ground.

Although he must be able to take criticism for Bielsa’s departure, Jesse Marsch’s appointment and the Jean-Kevin Augustin transfer debacle, he must be commended for enabling the relative success that Daniel Farke is currently enjoying.

It’s fair to say that, with the help of the 49ers, the club under his stewardship is as stable as it has been for many years.

He will also be remembered for his programme notes which were entertaining and outspoken.

He made it clear that he was deeply against the idea of an independent regulator in English football (which will endear him to the Premier League), and a transfer levy on Premier League clubs, comparing it to Maoism and the Great Chinese Famine.

He is also a football romantic, who supports Luton Town, and along with fellow Premier League executives helped block the proposed European Super League to stop domestic football from dying ‘on their watch’.

When the top flight’s ‘big six’ signed up to become members of the ESL, Kinnear admits he felt compelled not just to stand up for the interests of Leeds, but all those not involved in that controversial cabal.

He felt betrayed by the clubs he was working alongside in the Premier League at the time and said “the pyramid is the heart of English football. It means that every city, community and town has the ability to play at the highest level.”

He was also active and proud of his work with the club’s foundation and was in regular contact with supporters’ groups, some of which felt he was willing to work through thorny issues, such as ticket pricing and allocation, rather than be dismissive like previous regimes.

Ultimately, if you can say you have left the club in a better state than when you arrived, it is a job well done.

Should Leeds return to the Premier League this season then Kinnear will have done that.