Newcastle vs Leeds: What happened to David Batty?

It is a question that has been asked time and time again.

At least in the various meetings to celebrate Leeds’ victory in the league title in 1992 or Blackburn Rovers’ victory in the English Premier League three years later.

Batty shared both of those historic achievements, but former Blackburn midfielder Mark Atkins has not joined him since his playing days.

“We tried to get him to what we had, but no one could catch him,” he said.

“He’s not that kind of person. Even if he lived five miles away, he wouldn’t show up because he’s a very personal guy, really.”

Aside from a rare trip to Elland Road to lay a wreath on the pitch in memory of his close friend Gary Speed, following his tragic death in 2011, Batty tended to stay out of the public eye.

Viduka, who quietly opened a café in Croatia after hanging up his boots, can relate.

“In this day and age, everyone brags about everything they do at every moment, like what they had for breakfast,” he said. “Who cares?

“If anyone no “It’s going to be like that. It was Pats.”

Rather than entertaining corporate guests, representing footballers or working in the media, Batty always planned to devote his time solely to his family in Yorkshire after his retirement.

It has only added to the cult surrounding the player whom former Leeds team-mate Eric Buck described as one of his “heroes”.

“If someone tackled you, Pats was always there to defend you,” he said. “You don’t find this type of player very often. You can always count on him.”

However, Patty was more than just an enforcer.

In addition to his consistency and aggressive recovery of the ball, the England international rarely gives the ball away.

These qualities quickly shocked former Leeds midfielder John Sheridan, who was Batty’s ‘mentor’ in his early days at the club.

“You’d think butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth when you looked at him then,” he said.

“But he was tough as nails. He made the game look so simple by doing simple things so easily.”