Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Fri 27 March 2026 10:10, UK

Dan James scored for Wales but was unable to prevent them from falling to defeat against Bosnia, with the Leeds United star still falling short in one aspect of his game.

It’s been a frustrating campaign for James for several reasons, but perhaps none more so than the fact that he has failed to have any real influence for Leeds.

The Welshman has yet to register a single goal or an assist for the Whites in the Premier League, but will take some confidence from his clean strike against Bosnia, despite defeat on the night.

James impressed with his goal for Wales, but some of the same concerns from Elland Road crept into his performance again on the international stage.

Dan James’ game by numbers vs Bosnia

James’ goal had an xG of just 0.01, showcasing just how impressive it really was for him to give his country the lead.

That was just one of his four shots in the game, albeit with only two of them hitting the target.

In that aspect of his game, Leeds will be pleased.

However, his level of creativity has been rather low for the Whites in the Premier League this season, and that was again the case for Wales as he failed to create a single chance for his teammates against Bosnia.

On top of that, James failed to complete either of his two attempted dribbles, while also only completing 53 per cent of his 15 attempted passes.

It’s nothing new, though; James has created just eight chances in the Premier League this season, while also having only completed five dribbles.

This was his chance to showcase to Daniel Farke that he has the credentials to contribute to Leeds’ relegation battle, but he failed to do so.

What’s next for James at Leeds?

The 28-year-old has started just four times for Leeds in the Premier League this season, and his latest performance will do very little to increase those numbers.

Brenden Aaronson, despite his own struggles, is ahead of him in the pecking order, while Wilfried Gnonto has also showcased far more on the chances he has received.

From now until the end of May, James will almost certainly be used as an impact player, even if he has had very little of the sort so far.