Leeds fans will have trudged away from Elland Road wondering just how many of their heroes on view on Saturday afternoon will still be around at the start of next season.

The World Cup might prove a distraction for many supporters, but the speculation in relation to so many Leeds players during the summer is certain to make for interesting reading.

The reason is that Leeds are now in a selling market yet again, with manager David O'Leary under orders to trim the squad by a net of four during the summer as the club are heavily in debt following the Irishman's £100million transfer spending spree.

Europe's top clubs are now circling over Leeds like vultures, ready to pick off the stars likely to be lured to the continent, even if chairman Peter Ridsdale continues to categorically state the big guns are not up for grabs.

Harry Kewell, widely reported to be taking Spanish and Italian language lessons, is the subject of interest from both Inter Milan and Barcelona, with the latter poised to offer an apparently staggering sum of £25million.

Liverpool continue to be linked with £15million-rated Lee Bowyer, whose new five-year contract is as yet unsigned.

Although Olivier Dacourt was again sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Frenchman would appear to have played his last game for Leeds despite the midfielder recently rejecting a £16million move to Lazio.

The Italian side continue to remain interested, as do new Serie A champions Juventus, who also have an eye on Mark Viduka - along with many other clubs in Spain and Italy.

Then there are the likes of Robbie Keane, bound for Manchester City, Ian Harte who has been linked with Inter Milan, Gary Kelly, Michael Duberry and Stephen McPhail.

It is a melting pot which is certain to be given many a stir in the close season as O'Leary looks for players he is demanding show the hunger to give their all for Leeds.

Alan Smith is his shining example and the 21-year-old again underlined such desire by scoring his fifth goal of the season to lift Leeds into fifth place in the Premier League above Chelsea following the Blues' 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Smith also scored in the opening game of the campaign, and the fact he only netted three in between - his last on January 12 and his previous at Elland Road on November 25 - highlighted just what a difficult season it has been for both him and Leeds.

A fifth successive season in Europe beckons, a record not matched since the days of Don Revie, but that is not good enough for United's paymasters who had been demanding Champions League football.

O'Leary and Ridsdale remain confident Leeds will still be a force to be reckoned with next season despite the expected exodus during the close season.

That remains to be seen, but at least the fans watched their side end on a winning note as Boro finished the season as they had started it - with four successive league defeats.

Fortunately for boss Steve McClaren his players did enough in between to stave off the threat of relegation, and the former Manchester United number two can be satisfied with his first season in charge of a Premiership club.

Chances for the visitors were rare, the best of which being Szilard Nemeth's drive saved by Nigel Martyn late on, and although the ball continued to trickle goalwards, the England international scrambled to prevent it from crossing the line.

Leeds deserved the victory as they carved out numerous opportunities in the first half before ultimately capitalising in the 63rd minute, with Martyn's long goal-kick the catalyst.

A covering Gareth Southgate could do no more than head the ball on behind him, allowing Robbie Keane to impudently then flick it over his head for Smith to run on and lash home.

Teams:

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, Johnson, Kewell (Wilcox 90), Keane, Smith.

Subs Not Used: Robinson, McPhail, Duberry, Batty.

Booked: Matteo, Martyn.

Goals: Smith 63.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Ehiogu, Southgate, Cooper (Murphy 84), Greening (Debeve 76), Ince, Mustoe, Downing (Windass 66), Whelan, Nemeth.

Subs Not Used: Crossley, Johnston.

Att: 40,218

Ref: U Rennie (Sheffield).