The Premier League's US Instagram account @PLinUSA celebrates the passionate, diverse PL fandom from coast to coast in the series Premier League passion in the US: Fans' stories.
Meet Becky Collins, a Kansas City, Missouri, native living in Fort Worth, Texas, who turned her passion for various sports and the United States national team into a burning love for Leeds United.
Although picking and identifying with a PL club can be a long process for some, engaging with Leeds fans on social media made Becky feel right at home.
Becky
"I've been a lifelong sports fan. Kansas City professional sports teams like the Chiefs and Royals have always been in my heart. However, I haven’t been a lifelong soccer fan.
"Shortly after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Kansas City Wizards rebranded to Sporting Kansas City and soccer blew up in the ‘Soccer Capital of America.’ Soon, I gradually started following Sporting KC and the United State Men’s and Women’s National Teams.
"Over the years, I became familiar with household names like Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, etc, and would watch their performances in their respective leagues. Yet, I never dialed in on a club or league to follow.
“It wasn’t until last summer when I finished my pharmacy residency program that I had free time to delve into the PL and solidify my fandom.
“That’s when I took to Twitter.
“Despite spending countless summer hours interviewing for jobs and apartment hunting in Fort Worth, I would watch PL matches and tweet about the American players I knew and loved.
“One of my first tweets was me jokingly saying I would cut the grass with scissors at Elland Road if Leeds sign Pulisic since they already had Americans in Brenden Aaronson and Adams.
The power of social media
“Over the next couple of weeks, my follower count grew exponentially, with a legion of Leeds fans interacting with me by asking questions and sending videos of pre-game warm-ups, players coming off the bus and more.
“The fans were informative, passionate and welcoming, teaching me about the club’s rich history and supporters' culture. I was hooked.
“Once I was hired as a hospital pharmacist, watching weekend matchdays became difficult because I work a lot in the mornings. To show my newfound support, I began to wear Leeds kits under my scrubs and posted a picture on Twitter. It went viral and is now a matchday tradition.
“Recently, my Twitter friend Mary sent a picture of her and Weston McKennie after she ran into him walking. They had a chat and she told him she has a friend who’s a Leeds fan in Texas, so Wes knowing I exist is awesome!
“I’ve never traveled outside of the United States besides Mexico, but I would love to meet Mary and other Leeds fans at a match at Elland Road or an away day at Old Trafford.
“I don’t know if I could convince myself to go to a match with a kit under my scrubs, but it’s definitely a thought worth welcoming one day.”
