The immense fighting spirit around Elland Road can be perfectly summarised by the resolute recovery efforts from fan favourite Gaetano Berardi.

It is quite literally all hands on deck at Leeds United as the club desperately press on into the final stages of the season, battling with rivals Sheffield United and Norwich City for a place in the world’s most revered competition – the English Premier League.

No one is more committed to this melee than Gaetano Berardi.

The Switzerland international has rapidly ascended to a cult stardom amongst the Leeds faithful, thanks to his hard, no nonsense approach to defending – that perfect mixture of fearlessness and aggression that appeals to the most tribal instincts – the reason we sometimes revel in a crunching tackle as much as a goal.

Recent news will only serve to improve his status around West Yorkshire, as well.

Berardi suffered a hamstring injury so severe in October that it quite literally ripped the muscle away from the bone leaving him with no reasonable alternative other than surgery.

“His is a really difficult injury. You go to some surgeons and they’d say ‘that’s six to nine months’,” Leeds’ head of medicine and performance, Rob Price, told Yorkshire Evening Post.

But that is the point – he is not a reasonable man.

Gaetano Berardi refused the option to have surgery, which would have likely put him out for the rest of the season, instead opting for the slightly more traditional method of running it off – and as a result he is now available to play, just four months later.

This will come as welcome news in the wake of Pontus Jansson’s suspected long-term absence.

Leeds fans, just how much do you love Berardi? Join the discussion by commenting below…