A Leeds fan has claimed that he was paid to praise Massimo Cellino on social media in an effort to combat ongoing online criticism of the way the club was being run.

Mail Online report Scott Gutteridge as saying:

I was approached because of my IT/website design background by an unnamed member of Leeds United to assist in the creation and running of a group called Cellino In (now known as In Massimo We Trust).

I was told I would receive a nominal payment depending on activity and contribution. It balanced out at £500 per month.

The club felt that a positive influence from a small number of fans could go a long way and sponsoring this group would be worth their time.

Gutteridge, labelled a “whistleblower”, is said to have later been dropped from the group allegedly paid to praise Massimo Cellino after leaking information:

I started to realise what was going on behind the scenes.

This was nothing more than propaganda with the wrongdoings being covered up by the club using the Facebook group to counter arguments.

Leeds is a club rotten to the core.

A spokesman for Leeds United denied the claims:

There is nothing in this.

But unfortunately, because of the hysteria surrounding Leeds, groups of fans don’t believe what the club say.

The website, however, goes on to insist:

A number of other Leeds sources insist Gutteridge is telling the truth.