Neil Redfearn makes ‘mountain’ Josuha Guilavogui verdict after debut in Leeds United v Plymouth
Neil Redfearn was impressed with what he saw from Josuha Guilavogui in his Leeds United debut against Plymouth on Saturday.
The free agent signing came on for Joe Rothwell for a 15-minute cameo as the Whites outclassed the Pilgrims 3-0 at Elland Road (2 November).
Despite his limited playing time, the Frenchman impressed Redfearn with his performance, earning praise for his awareness and composure in possession.
The former Leeds manager was also wowed by the physical presence the 34-year-old added to Daniel Farke’s midfield and dubbed him a “man mountain”.
“It was a good insight on Guilavogui, I thought he was really good”, Redfearn said on BBC Radio Leeds’ Football Forum (2 November).
“I think he’s good touch and awareness for a big guy, he’s a man mountain.
“He could play at the back easily, he could play in midfield. Just comfortable in possession, he gave Leeds physical presence in there as well.
“I know it’s an obvious thing to say, but for his challenges and the way he went into things, not nastily, just used his physical presence at times and it just gave Leeds that extra dominance in there.”
Josuha Guilavogui shows class on and off the pitch for Leeds United
Guilavogui would not have been at Leeds had it not been for long-term injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, but it appears he is cherishing the opportunity.
On the pitch, the veteran showed what he is all about, completing 22 passes, including five into the final third with 96 per cent accuracy and winning each of his five ground duels (FotMob).
He went on to show his class off the pitch later, mentioning fellow debutants Charlie Crew and Sam Chambers before himself in a post-match interview with Adam Pope.
Guilavogui could soon prove to be a shrewd emergency signing from Leeds, who were linked with Cheikhou Kouyate before signing him.
Having had a taste of football at Elland Road, the former Mainz star will undoubtedly be determined to play more often in the coming weeks.
However, it is also evident that he is more focused on helping the team out than playing as much as he can himself.
In other Leeds United news, Wayne Rooney sent a “failure” message to the Whites after his side’s defeat at Elland Road.
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