“You're Leeds, and you know you are.”
That was the chant from the Elland Road faithful as Jermaine Beckford came off he bench to help Huddersfield Town to a 2-1 derby win back in March 2013 and reflected the success the striker had in all white.
Things might not have worked out so well for him at Everton, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers, the three clubs with whom he has had permanent deals since leaving Leeds United in 2010.
But he has thrived while out on loan, first at Town, then at Preston North End, both times signed by his old Leeds gaffer Simon Grayson.
Beckford’s burst of five goals in four matches (his total Town figure was nine in 22 games) played a crucial role in keeping the club in the Championship back in 2013, by which time Grayson had been replaced by Mark Robins.
And at Wembley on Sunday, the 31-year-old bagged a hat trick for Preston, skippered by Town old boy Tom Clarke, in their 4-0 League I play-off final win over Swindon Town.
That treble not only helped Grayson collect a fourth promotion to the Championship as a manager, after Blackpool in 2007, Leeds in 2010 (automatically), when Beckford bagged 31 goals in 52 games, and Town in 2012.
It also highlighted why Beckford, now 31 and out of contract at Bolton, is a wanted man.
Preston, for whom he scored 18 times in 31 appearances, are desperate to sign him on a permanent deal as they prepare for a first Championship campaign since 2010-11.
But he has also been linked with a return to Leeds, for whom he chalked up 85 goals over the last three of his five seasons, and Wigan Athletic, who are plotting an immediate return to the second tier after this season’s relegation.
In the past, questions have been asked about Beckford’s attitude as well as his flexibility when it comes to fitting into different formations.
But Grayson clearly has a bond with a player who began his career as a youngster at Chelsea before playing for non-league Wealdstone while also working as a windscreen fitter.
“He knows how we work, I know how he works,” said Grayson of the man who initially struggled for first-team football at Leeds and was loaned out to Carlisle United and Scunthorpe United during the 2006-07 campaign.
“He’s enjoying his football and when someone enjoys their football you get the best out of them.
“We’ve got a special relationship.”
While Grayson claimed a third play-off success, it was a first in 10 attempts for Preston.
“You are employed to do a job and hopefully you can do it to the best of your ability,” added Grayson, whose assistant is his former Town right-hand man Glynn Snodin and whose squad includes ex-Town players Calum Woods and Joe Garner as well as Clarke.
“We always said the previous record (in play-offs) was there to be broken.
“It didn’t frighten me going into the play-offs and now we have got rid of that hoodoo and we’re on our way to the Championship.”
Swindon boss Mark Cooper, a former Town loan player, admitted: “We didn’t deal with Garner and Beckford, plain and simple. If you don’t do that you have a difficult afternoon on your hands.”
