Brian McDermott latest: Manager arrives at Leeds United before press conference to clear up 'sack' stories

McDermott had reportedly been sacked on Friday only to be informed that the proposed new owners of Leeds had no right to do so

Brian McDermott would still be in charge at Reading if it was up to the club’s chairman (Getty Images)

Leeds manager Brian McDermott returned to the club's training ground this morning just days after it appeared he had been sacked.

McDermott, who will speak to the media at 12.45pm this afternoon, arrived at the club's Thorp Arch base this morning.

On Friday it appeared he had been fired by prospective new owner Massimo Cellino, but current owners Gulf Finance House (GFH) Capital were forced to release a statement the following day to insist he remained in situ.

McDermott has been given certain assurances by GFH about his continued role at the Sky Bet Championship club, but plenty more questions remain unanswered as the owners seek to sell a controlling stake in the club to controversial Italian businessman Cellino, who owns Serie A club Cagliari.

Cellino, 57, has owned Cagliari for 20 years and has two previous convictions for fraud and, crucially, has yet to have his Leeds takeover approved by the Football League.

There are doubts that Cellino, who has a further charge of alleged embezzlement - which he denies - hanging over him, will pass the League's strict 'fit and proper person' test.

Cellino wanted to install friend Gianluca Festa, the former Middlesbrough and Watford defender, as the club's new head coach.

But after GFH Capital's statement Cellino attempted to distance himself from what had happened to McDermott and later revealed he had tried to telephone the former Reading boss in a bid to 'reinstate' him.

In the meantime, McDermott, 52, sought advice from the League Managers Association and after speaking to the club's current managing director David Haigh on Saturday decided not to attend the derby clash with Huddersfield.

McDermott's assistant Nigel Gibbs took charge at Elland Road, where most in a crowd of over 31,000 chanted in support of their manager and made clear their opposition to a Cellino takeover.

Main club sponsors Enterprise Insurance and academy sponsors Flamingo Land had both already announced they would be reviewing their financial support in protest at Cellino's handling of the situation, while the club's players, officials and fans wondered whether McDermott still wanted the job.

Cellino's company, Eleonora Sport Ltd, became the leading candidate to buy the club after the collapse of a deal GFH Capital had agreed with Sport Capital - headed by Haigh and businessman Andrew Flowers, the owner of Enterprise Insurance - after a two-month period of exclusivity.

GFH Capital, a Bahrain-based investment firm, bought Leeds from Ken Bates in December 2012 and favoured Cellino's bid, despite interest from a Yorkshire-based consortium called Together Leeds. That group includes former Manchester United director Mike Farnan and former Hull chairman Adam Pearson, who left his position as commercial director at Elland Road in 2001.

Together Leeds claims to have been unable to get to the negotiating table with GFH Capital, but said on Friday it was still willing to enter into talks.

PA