Leeds United vs Bolton: Played For Both Clubs - Scott Sellars

Ahead of this weekend's game at Elland Road, we take a look at the career of former Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United midfielder, Scott Sellars.

Scott Sellars, born 27th November 1965, began his youth career with Leeds United. In 1983, at the age of 17, Sellars made his Leeds debut against Shrewsbury Town. Early performances with Leeds suggested that Sellars had a big future in the game. He was one of a number of talented youngsters encouraged to play open football by Leeds manager Eddie Gray, and quickly became Leed's first choice left midfielder.

Sellars would only last three years at Elland Road though. Eddie Gray was replaced as Leeds manager, and his replacement, Billy Bremner, preferred an older, more experienced team. Sellars did win a place back into the first team, but in 1986 he handed in a transfer request, and Sellars was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £20,000.

In total for Leeds United, Scott Sellars scored 14 goals in 86 games.

Sellars had instant success at Blackburn. In his first season, Blackburn won the 1987 Full Members Cup, after beating Charlton Athletic 1-0 at Wembley. Fellow former Wanderer Colin Hendry scored the winning goal.

In the 1987/1988 season, he was capped three times by the England U21s. He made his debut as a 25th minute substitute for Paul Gascoigne in a 1-0 win over Scotland at the City Ground, Nottingham on 22nd March 1988.

In Sellar's final season with Blackburn, he helped Rovers secure promotion to the Premier League via the Play-Offs. Rovers beat Leicester City 1-0 at Wembley. Just as soon as Rovers had gained promotion and Jack Walker had started his plan to win the Premier League, Sellars was on the move. In the Summer of 1992, Leeds United had bid £800,000 for Sellars, and it seemed too good a move to turn down. In his six years at Ewood Park, Scott Sellars made 245 appearances, scoring 41 goals.

Sellars second spell at Leeds wasn't great. Sellars struggled with injuries in his second spell at Elland Road and found himself on the fringes of the action. Howard Wilkinson had sought to build a strong squad for his assault on Europe. Scott Sellars could also not get ahead of another former Wanderer, Gary Speed, in Leeds' starting line up.

While Leeds had a surplus of midfielders, they had a problem at right back and Wilkinson needed the funds to solve that problem by purchasing David Kerslake from Swindon Town. So, in March 1993, Sellars joined Newcastle United for £700,000 and quickly returned to the Top Flight as Kevin Keegan’s Magpies claimed the First Division title. This Sellars goal in a win against bitter rivals Sunderland was important in Newcastle's run to the title.

Scott Sellars helped Newcastle cement theirselves in the Premier League. However, a cartilage injury sidelined his Newcastle career and subsequently, Sellars lost his place to French winger David Ginola.

Sellars then moved to newly promoted Premier League side Bolton Wanderers in December 1995, for a fee of £700,000. In total for Newcastle, Sellars played 76 times, scoring 9 goals.

In his first season at Burnden Park, Bolton finished rock bottom of the Premier League. His second season was one to remember.

Sellars scored 8 goals in 45 games in the 1996/1997 season as Bolton won the First Division in convincing fashion, finishing the season with 98 points (a then league record) and 100 goals. It was also the final season at Burnden Park, and Sellars scored in the penultimate game at the ground, a 4-0 win against Oxford United.

Bolton were back in the Premier League. However, as in the 1995/1996 season, the Trotters only lasted one year in the top flight. Bolton finished 18th as Everton were saved from relegation on goal difference. The main reason being a goal not being given (despite being miles over the line) against Everton in the first game at the Reebok Stadium.

Anyway, Sellars scored a cracker against Everton in a 3-2 defeat at Goodison Park.

Sellars spent a further year with Bolton in the First Division, and came on as a substitute in Bolton's 2-0 Play-Off final defeat to Watford FC.

At the end of the 1998/1999 season, Scott Sellars moved to Huddersfield Town on a free transfer. In total for Bolton, Sellars scored 20 goals in 138 games.

After two years with Huddersfield, Sellars had a brief spell with Danish side AGF Aarhus, and then finished his career at Mansfield Town.

In 2009, Scott Sellars was hired as Head of Academy coaching at Manchester City and left in 2014. Currently, Sellars works at Wolverhampton Wanderers as an academy coach.