Leeds legend Eddie Gray was there to see the good times roll at Elland Road first time round.

Champions of England twice and five-times runners up in the old First Division, all in the space of nine thrilling years. Stretching from the mid-60s to the early 70s, it was an era of Yorkshire domination. There was an FA Cup win to celebrate, a League Cup triumph too plus a couple of Inter-City Fairs Cup victories - not to mention a brush with the biggest prize of the lot.

The European Cup may have eluded Gray and co in 1975 but there is no doubt that during this golden period, the team built by esteemed boss Don Revie upon solid Scottish foundations was one of the best found anywhere on the continent. Now Leeds’ new American owners have made restoring Leeds to those former glories their ultimate objective after taking outright control of United.

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And Elland Road icon Gray reckons the money men behind the San Francisco 49ers will be setting similar targets for Rangers in Scotland as they prepare to plough their dollars into Ibrox next. As Record Sport revealed on Wednesday, the NFL outfit’s investment arm is in talks to complete a takeover deal that could see Gers follow Leeds into the 49ers’ newly-established soccer stable.

So far, it’s proving to be a promising partnership for the Peacocks, with Daniel Farke’s side strutting their way to the top of the English Championship and on course for a return to the Premier League next season. And Gray believes the new investment package could see Rangers soaring again too.

The retired Leeds wing king told Record Sport: “Rangers are a big club with a huge, vast support. I know they’ve not had the best of times lately but I also don’t think it will take that much to turn around a club like that because they've got the backing from the supporters. And the people from the 49ers are the people who can pull that off.

“I really like the way they’ve approached things down here. One of the biggest things is the publicity they've brought to Leeds.

“The 49ers, being a NFL franchise, are a worldwide brand, everybody knows them. And the people who work for them are very keen, very keen on the football and very keen to get involved and understand what Leeds is about as a city and a club.

“I think the big attraction for them is the atmosphere at games. They can see the passion the fans have for the club.

“It’s different from the atmosphere you get in America and they can see the potential that gives you when are investing a lot of money. If you go into a club like Rangers, they've got a great atmosphere there too so I’m sure that will be the attraction.

“It's early days here at Leeds under their ownership, so we’re all just going to have to wait and see how it progresses. But I've got to say things are looking good at the present time

“I think their ambition for Leeds United is to take the team right back to the top if they can. It's not easy. We all know that. There's a lot of obstacles standing in the way of that objective.

“But that have set their sights high - and I think that's what they will be doing with Rangers, looking to turn things around at Ibrox.”

The Californians' ownership at Elland Road hasn’t been without it’s critics. Following a brief stint as Leeds boss in 2023, former England manager Sam Allardyce hit out at the approach taken by 49ers exec and Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe - the man now spearheading the move for control at Rangers - when he accused him of sabotaging his bid to stave off relegation by selling off too many of their top performers.

Among that exodus was Gray’s nephew Archie. He was sold to Tottenham for £42million while other departures - including ex-Ibrox star Glen Kamara’s switch to France - have helped slap the sales figures beyond the £150million mark since the 49ers' takeover.

Those are numbers Gers can only dream of as they struggle to get their stalled player-trading model kick-started. But uncle Eddie reckons the days of Leeds having to sell to survive are over.

“One of the main obstacles is that if you don't get promotion quickly, your major players will want to move on and play in the big league, and that's understandable. I'd be disappointed with any player at Leeds United that didn't want to play in the Premier League.

“That's why it's so important that we get back into the Premier League as quick as possible. Then you can hold on to your players. I think you are seeing now that the club is building a strong squad who all want to be here.

“What’s clear is that the owners know how to maximise talent and get the best out of it. Obviously, their background is in American football but the NFL is big business too.

“They know how to build things. So far, it's been good for our club.

“I’ve meet with Parag Marath and I’ve been impressed by him. He loves football - he’s been bitten by the bug.

“I think coming into our club has given them a taste of what it can be like. I think the ambition at our club is to get back into Premier League as quickly as possible and then take it from there. It's looking good at the present time.”

On the pitch, things are looking up for Farke’s team. And off it too, the Leeds support are hoping to see their home ground finally brought up to 21st century standard.

While still one of England’s most atmospheric arenas, Elland Road has fallen way behind some of the super-modern venues found in the Premier League. But the 49ers have made upgrading the ground another priority.

It currently holds just under 37,000 but plans to expand the old place up to 53,000 were revealed last September.

Gray said: “We've got to be realistic. Leeds is a big city. It's one of the biggest in England. But if we're going to be back in the Premier League, you have to say the ground's not big enough.

“We have 22,000 season ticket holders but another 20,000 on a waiting list. They could sell the place twice over if only the stadium was bigger.

“But thankfully the 49ers have got big ideas for the club, whether it be for the ground or the team. They’re a very progressive outfit."

Former Scotland international Gray joined Leeds at the age of 16 - but only after the Castlemilk kid gave up on hopes of playing for boyhood heroes Celtic. The Rangers faithful will hope the 49ers bid for control at Ibrox will finally bring the Parkhead club’s iron-like grip on Scotland’s silverware to an end.

But what about Hoops-daft Ed? “No, I don't mind,” he grinned. “Listen, anything that's good for Scottish football is fine by me.

“Obviously, Celtic and Rangers are powerhouses from a supporter point of view. They're among the biggest supported clubs in the world.

“So anything that progresses the game up there, I think is good. The 49ers have been great for our club so far and I think they can do the same for Rangers.”