Why Leeds United have just been handed Noah Okafor blessing as statement released
Leeds United may now be able to keep Noah Okafor at Thorp Arch for much longer moving forward.
The Swiss international is a regular first-team starter under Daniel Farke, and is set to play an important role for the German head coach this campaign.
The left-winger was the Whites' best attacking threat at one stage in the second half of last season, even though an injury disrupted his momentum in February.
Despite this, Okafor looks refreshed for the new season, and even picked up an assist off the bench in Leeds' Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday.
He enjoyed this summer in North America for the World Cup with Switzerland, though he did not get as much playing time as he would have liked under Murat Yakin.
It is well documented that Okafor does not have the best relationship with Yakin, and now Leeds may welcome the player's latest statement.
Noah Okafor releases bombshell statement on Switzerland future
One issue Leeds now have as a Premier League side is that while they recruit some top players, the majority of them are good enough to play for their respective countries.
One of them is Okafor, though his inclusion in Switzerland has been up and down, due to his relationship with the head coach.
Okafor had a public fallout with Yakin in the past, but after Switzerland suffered some late injuries heading into the World Cup, the two had seemingly put the past behind them.
Now, it seems like the 26-year-old has burnt bridges with the national team, so long as Yakin is there.
In a statement released on his Instagram this Thursday, Okafor revealed his decision to step away from the Switzerland national team for the foreseeable future.
The statement read: "Under the current circumstances, I simply cannot do it anymore. Things happened that hit me deeply. Trust was broken. Promises not kept.
Okafor has officially "stepped down" from the national team "until further notice".
Selfishly, Leeds will not have to worry about Okafor being late back from international camps in the future, nor do they have to be concerned about him picking up an injury while away from LS11.
His fellow Leeds United teammates have also reacted to the post.
The Leeds players who have reacted to Okafor's statement
Okafor is a player who is capable of pulling off some magic at Elland Road.
After Leeds' 3-1 win over Burnley at Elland Road on 1 May, The Guardian hailed the forward as the club's most "dynamic" outlet during the match.
Following his statement, his fellow Leeds teammates have reacted to the post.
Anton Stach, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Gabriel Gudmundsson have all liked Okafor's post so far, the same with the on-loan Wilfried Gnonto, in what is an act of solidarity.