Leeds United: Behind-the-scenes Mateo Joseph reveal emerges from Thorp Arch, ‘I see him…’
Ilia Gruev has been impressed by the hard work he’s seen Mateo Joseph putting in behind the scenes at Leeds United.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post on Thursday (7 March), the Bulgarian international said he sees the 20-year-old every time he goes into the gym at Thorp Arch as he believes the work the forward’s putting in – alongside his quality – will see him challenge for more minutes in the side.
The 23-year-old midfielder added that everyone saw how good the England U-20 international was when he scored twice in the FA Cup game against Chelsea as he believes the Whites fans will enjoy watching him if he continues to do the right things at Elland Road.
“He’s a great guy,” said Gruev. “I see him every time in the gym, he’s working so hard for us. I think when you work so hard and you have this type of quality which he has, you will deserve your right to get more minutes.
“I think everybody saw how good he was when he played against Chelsea, great game from him and two goals. He has to keep working, keep pushing, he’s a young player. And if he keeps like this, I’m sure that he will get a lot of minutes here and the fans will enjoy him very much.”
Mateo Joseph pushing for more Leeds United opportunities
It’s been an extremely positive past few weeks for Joseph as his performances have warranted an increased run in the Leeds team.
He’s had to wait patiently for his chance under Daniel Farke, but he certainly made his mark when he scored twice in the 3-2 defeat against Chelsea.
The Spanish-born forward came off the bench in the victory over Stoke City on Tuesday (5 March), where he was unfortunate to not register his first Championship goal.
But that day will surely come soon as he continues to show the Whites boss why he deserves more chances with his performances and work on the training ground.
It’s unlikely he’d be able to force his way into contention for a starting spot ahead of Patrick Bamford, Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe, but he appears to have cemented his place as the fourth-choice striker and he should be in line for plenty more opportunities this season.
In other Leeds United news, a Sky Sports pundit has raged over a controversial incident in the Whites game against Stoke City.
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