Kilkenny's joy after hell under Bruce

Former Arsenal trainee Kilkenny, 22, faces play-off rivals Doncaster at Wembley on Sunday in the biggest match of his career, but he admitted: "This time last year I was on my knees at Birmingham. I had to get out of there."

Feeling the pull: Kilkenny had no doubts about resurrecting his career at Leeds

Kilkenny, born in Enfield but raised in Adelaide, had two loan spells with Oldham before his £150,000 move to Elland Road in January. By then Alex McLeish had succeeded Bruce, who took over at Wigan.

"He wasn’t very good for me," said Kilkenny of Bruce. "He wouldn’t play me but he wouldn’t let me go. I used to train with the other players but when it came to Saturday I didn’t play.

"That went on for a year. I was really down, it was the lowest I’ve ever been. I begged him to let me go out on loan. Luckily he let me go back to Oldham. I knew I’d be happy there.

"Alex McLeish said I could go. Hopefully, in three or four years we’ll be in a better position than Wigan and I’ll be here playing football in the Premier League."

Kilkenny was also wanted by rivals Doncaster but he said: "I couldn’t turn down a big club like Leeds. I feel I made the right decision regardless of Sunday’s result. All you want from your manager is honesty and the freedom to play."

Doncaster, meanwhile, have been forced to suspend ticket sales for Sunday’s match after rival fans tried to buy them.

Hundreds of Leeds supporters turned up yesterday morning pretending to be Rovers followers in the hope of landing tickets.

Doncaster staff were also concerned about touts and contacted the Football League as trouble threatened to break out between rival supporters.

The League have launched an investigation amid concerns that some Leeds fans have tickets for the wrong end at Wembley.

Thousands of Leeds followers missed out on buying tickets from Elland Road after the club’s 36,000 allocation was snapped up within hours.

Those Doncaster fans queueing for tickets were sent home and told to try to book by telephone or via the internet instead.

A Doncaster spokesman said: "This is a measure that has been forced into place due to the high amount of  Leeds United supporters and ticket touts who have now started grouping outside the perimeter of the stadium."