AJ100 practice KSS Design Group was appointed last year by the Premier League outfit to oversee the stadium upgrade, which will boost its capacity from 37,645 to 53,000.

The sports specialists had already worked up designs to RIBA Stage 3 following public and fan consultations during April, May and June, and submitted a hybrid planning application to Leeds City Council in July.

The submission included a full planning application for works to the West Stand, including alterations to the north-west and south-west corners as part of an initial development. Outline permission was also sought for the subsequent redevelopment of the North Stand and north-east corner.

A month later the club re-tendered the design role, a process which the AJ understands attracted a number of bids, including from KSS, AFL and BDP.

It can be revealed the contract was won by BDP, which has a studio in Leeds. The practice has previously drawn up a masterplan for the land around Elland Road and its sport division, BDP Pattern, recently completed Everton FC’s new 52,888-seat Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.

Luke Harrison, architect director at BDP, said: ‘Elland Road is the heart of Leeds United and the city itself. We know what this club means to its supporters and the wider community, and that’s why we understand the responsibility to create a legacy here.

‘With our studio team in Leeds already shaping development across the city, we can really bring the stadium expansion into our design thinking and take it to the next level. Our aim is simple: to design a ground that honours the club’s history, tells its story, and gives Leeds United and its fans a stadium that matches their ambition for the future.’