Leeds United have good memories over current West Brom mainstay: View | OneFootball

Kyle Bartley spent the 2016/17 season on loan at Elland Road where he impressed

Kyle Bartley has become a mainstay for West Bromwich Albion in the years that have followed his move to The Hawthorns in 2018, and it's easy to forget that he actually enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Leeds United during the 2016/17 season.

Bartley was recruited by his former Swansea City teammate and manager Garry Monk to spend a season at Elland Road, and the ex-Arsenal academy man impressed, becoming a key figure as Leeds enjoyed a relatively successful season.

His time as a Leeds player will feel like a long time ago, but he'll be fondly remembered by the Elland Road faithful thanks to his performances and his leadership, which saw him become a bit of a fan favourite at the club.

Leeds United will have good memories of Kyle Bartley

Barltey had struggled for regular playing time at Swansea City since his move to the then Premier League side in 2012, and had spent time on loan at Birmingham City during the 2013/14 season, before being unable to force his way into the Swans side after returning from St Andrew's.

Monk was appointed Leeds boss in the summer of 2016, and he turned to some familiar faces from Swansea to bolster his squad, recruiting the likes of Pablo Hernandez, Matt Grimes and Bartley on loan.

While Grimes' move to Yorkshire didn't quite work out, both Hernandez and Bartley played important roles as Leeds had their best season since the 2010/11 campaign, very nearly reaching the play-offs.

The centre-back's time at Elland Road was a memorable one, and he started 45 of the club's 46 league games, forming a formidable partnership with Pontus Jansen as the club missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season after a poor end to the season.

Despite being on loan, Bartley was also tasked with wearing the captain's armband on a regular basis, wearing it for the first time just a month after joining, as Leeds beat Cardiff City 2-0 away from home, no doubt a sweet moment for the Swansea loanee.

Being asked to captain a side despite being on loan was a glowing reference to Bartley's time at Leeds, and he became a popular player amongst supporters thanks to his performances and commitment.

In total, Bartley played 50 games for Leeds, scoring six times, and it was the perfect loan move for all parties.

Swansea saw their loanee get regular game time and Leeds had a player who was fit every week, trusted to play every game and wear the captain's armband.

The big central defender returned to Swansea in the summer of 2017, ending his time at Elland Road, and there were plenty of Leeds supporters who would have loved to have him back on a permanent basis.

The centre-back was part of a Swansea team relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017/18 season and subsequently joined another of the teams that dropped out of the top flight in the form of West Brom that summer.

After struggling for a permanent home and regular game time at Swansea, the move to The Hawthorns proved to be exactly what Bartley needed, and he's become a mainstay in the Baggies team since his arrival six years ago.

He helped West Brom win promotion to the Premier League in 2020, and he finally got a deserved run of games in the top-flight for the first time after his Swansea struggles, even wearing the captain's armband at times, but he was unable to help the Baggies avoid relegation to the Championship.

Now 33, Bartley has continued to play an important role for Carlos Corberan's side, and he put pen-to-paper on a new contract in the summer, which has tied him down to The Hawthorns until the summer of 2026.

Leeds fans won't be surprised to see Bartley thriving in the Championship after his performances at Elland Road during the 2016/17 season, and his time with the Whites helped put him in the shop window for his move to The Hawthorns in 2018.