Leeds United reunion serves as summer transfer reminder of issue Nick Hammond must resolve

Kalvin Phillips and Gjanni Alioski did battle in the colours of England and North Macedonia, the former scoring his first international goal and the latter getting a bit of a chasing from Bukayo Saka. There's no shame in that, not when you consider the season Arsenal's devastatingly quick and skillful 21-year-old has put together. As was noted in commentary, Alioski is an attacking full-back, a winger-turned-defender and his team's inability to stop the service to Saka did him no favours.

Regardless, the ex-Leeds man was able to put a smile on his face after the game when he posed for a photo with Phillips. He signed autographs for Leeds fans, too, in what was a first real opportunity for admirers to see him in the flesh since his exit from the club.

There was no real in-person farewell for Alioski when his time at Elland Road came to an end. On the last day of that first Premier League season he was simply a player who might depart, whereas Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi were definitely on their way and so afforded the due adoration from those in the stands.

It wasn't until July 28 that Alioski addressed his exit, 23 days after Leeds had confirmed it. A deal had been offered but better was on offer elsewhere and on July 29 he joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli. In the time that has passed since, two difficult years and a pair of relegation battles, only one of which was won, it has been tempting to look back on Leeds' efforts to keep Alioski and wonder if it was worth their while doing more. Junior Firpo, who came in as the next big thing at left-back, the man who was to take the shirt and carry it forward to a better place, has struggled so badly in terms of injuries, form and defensive duels, that any of Alioski's frailties were forgiven or forgotten by the many who would happily have swapped back.

Yet although Alioski did show improvement in his defensive actions in his single Premier League campaign, it was what he did going the other way that most endeared him to supporters. He was a bundle of energy who got up and down the flank, arriving in the area with timing that brought five goals and five assists in the promotion season. Promotion lessened his offensive output but did not deaden it completely.

What stands out about Alioski's last two seasons at Leeds is that he was one half of an understanding that proved pivotal for Leeds, both in getting promoted to the top flight and in setting about it with such ferocity in 2020/21.