Seth Johnson played for Leeds United in the early 2000s
Johnson became famed as one of Leeds’ biggest flops when their spending bubble spectacularly burst in 2003.
The club that reached the Champions League semi-finals under David O’Leary almost went under following their relegation in 2004.
Johnson was a £7million buy from Derby County and arrived on good wages.
But injuries and a hidden bonus clause meant he struggled to get games at Elland Road, eventually proving a costly flop.
“I have a lot of regrets, especially with my injuries,” Johnson told Bwin.
“It was one of those moves that from the very start I couldn’t get going.
“I got injured early on and that was the theme of my time.
“I ruptured my thigh and tore my cartilage, it was a never-ending series of injuries and I never got a run of games going.
“I had a half-decent reputation and came for a lot of money but it was a really tough time for me. I didn’t play as well as I could.”
Johnson managed just over 50 league appearances for Leeds until he headed back to Derby in 2005.
There were claims the cash-strapped West Yorkshire club would have had to pay Derby a bonus once he reached 60 appearances.
And Johnson confirmed the rumours.
“I was there for just under four years and the last year was the only year I stayed relatively injury free,” he told Bwin.
“I didn’t know about the clause in the contract actually. It was something agreed between the clubs.
“I kept getting left out and I thought it was because of injuries, I wasn’t sure why. I found out about the clause, four years after it was agreed, and I was thinking about paying the money myself, because I was fit and raring to go and wanted to play.
“They wanted me off the wage bill and it was a good move to go back to Derby.”
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Johnson was part of that Leeds team that progressed far into Europe and challenged for the Premier League title, only to suffer financial meltdown.
Asked about which of his former team-mates he looked up to most, he said: "Lee Bowyer, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Robinson, Danny Mills and Michael Bridges were great guys and fantastic players to learn from.
“We had a fantastic team spirit at the time and they welcomed me into the team with open arms, which I was really grateful for.
“Mark Viduka was as good a player as I ever played with, he had one of the best touches I’ve seen.
“What surprised me about Rio Ferdinand in particular was his professionalism. I saw Rio and thought he could become the most expensive defender.
“He was world class, a true professional and an even better player. He had a great work culture.”