David Batty was born in Leeds on 2 December 1968 and was a defensive midfielder. He made his debut for Leeds in November 1987 as an 18-year-old during a 4–2 win over Swindon Town, and quickly earned a reputation as a fiercely competitive midfielder in the mould of Leeds legend Billy Bremner. In October 1993 Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson needed funds to finance the rebuilding of his team, and reluctantly accepted an offer from Blackburn Rovers, who were managed by Kenny Dalglish. Over the two spells with Leeds United, Batty played 301 games for the club.