Leeds United boss Daniel Farke reveals emerging Whites leader amid a ‘fantastic’ injury boost
Daniel James, a winger for Leeds United, has shown leadership characteristics, according to manager Daniel Farke, who is getting ready to add the Welshman to his squad on Tuesday.
After suffering a slight hip injury during the Whites’ thrilling victory over Norwich City at the end of the previous month, the 26-year-old has missed the last four games across all competitions. However, he is back in the mix when Leeds travels to Swansea City for a midweek match.
In the Welshman’s absence, Willy Gnonto has stepped up, scoring the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Bristol City and setting the tone with a brilliant goal in the 4-1 victory against Plymouth Argyle in an FA Cup fourth-round replay. Farke has a bit of a selection dilemma now that James is back, but the German is only seeing bright spots as Leeds looks to stay up with Southampton in the race for second place.
Indeed, it’s encouraging to see that Gnonto is playing consistently and producing quality work. But Daniel’s return is undoubtedly welcome as, before to his injury, he produced excellent end products as well. And with Daniel back, we have a really good option, another option, and a crucial player for the many games that are ahead of us!” Farke stated.
James is having a great time playing at Elland Road under Farke, with 10 goals and 7 assists in 29 games this season. After being transferred to Fulham on loan the previous season, he returned to West Yorkshire and quickly made a name for himself as an important player for the Whites. Farke has praised him for his leadership qualities and asserts that the Wales international sets a good example for others on the pitch rather than chatting a lot off it.
“He is an experienced player in our group who has played for the national team,” he continued. Therefore, it seems sense that as you age and gain expertise, your word would naturally become more significant in the changing room. However, the leadership isn’t limited to the locker room. It’s similar to leading by example during games. When I consider how many times he was able to start our pressing, recover the ball by running back, and then win the ball with a tackle, for example, this is also referred to as leadership, and I would argue that this leadership is even more significant than making inspirational speeches in the locker room.
Thus, even what you do on the field matters most when it comes to leadership. Particularly when a player was previously renowned for his offensive prowess and had the same ability to give up his sprint back to recover the ball, win the ball back with a brilliant tackle, or start pressing, this had a significant positive impact on the entire team and occasionally even the entire stadium.
Thus, I believe that while he may not give lectures in the locker room every day, he sets an excellent example both during practise and during games. We also ask him for this because he is now at an age where he must demonstrate this and recognise his value to the team. Daniel deserves a great deal of credit for this as well.”
Leeds has played one more game than both Southampton and Ipswich Town combined, placing them one and three points behind each team in the standings, respectively. Tuesday sees Southampton go to Bristol City, while on Wednesday night, Ipswich travels to Millwall.