Pacsal Struijk reveals ‘unfortunate’ situation as Leeds Premier League claim shared
Pascal Struijk has been a central figure for Leeds United once again at the start of this season.
The centre-back has been a key part of the Whites’ efforts to escape the Championship in recent seasons, and he has been similarly influential so far in the Premier League.
Stuijk was linked with an exit from Leeds during the summer transfer window, but he ultimately stayed put at Elland Road to help the club establish itself back in the top flight.
Daniel Farke has relied upon the 26-year-old heavily so far this term, and the player himself has lifted the lid on his feelings regarding the team’s start to the campaign.
Pascal Struijk thinks Leeds are better equipped for the Premier League
Struijk had played every single league minute for Leeds prior to Farke’s decision to drop him to the bench for last week’s victory over West Ham.
The Dutch star has picked up where he left off last season alongside Joe Rodon at the heart of the defence, and the pair’s performances are likely to be crucial for their team moving forward.
The West Yorkshire outfit will be outside the bottom three after the opening 10 games regardless of how they fare away at Brighton on Saturday.
Struijk has now made it clear that he feels Leeds are better equipped for top-flight football than they were when they last featured in the Premier League back in 2022-23.
“The start is similar to our last season in the Premier League,” the defender told ELF Voetbal.
“We started well then too, but of course, there’s always room for improvement. The squad has become qualitatively stronger thanks to several new signings, and we’re playing more realistic football than in the previous Premier League period.”
The Ajax academy starlet also shared his frust of breaking back into the Dutch national team, having been left out in the cold by Ronald Koeman since he was named in the provisional squad for the 2022 World Cup.
“Unfortunately, I never heard anything from national coach Koeman,” Struijk continued.
“One of my goals this season is to get into the Dutch national team. I don’t know what else I need to do to be considered for selection. I hope the national coach follows the Premier League matches.”
Pascal Struijk may lose his place to Jaka Bijol
Jaka Bijol’s lack of football at Leeds so far this season has been something of a mystery in the early stages of the campaign, but it may not continue for much longer after his impressive display against West Ham.
The Whites paid a fee of around £15million for the Slovenian, and with that in mind, he was never likely to be out of the team for too long, given that Leeds don’t exactly have cash to waste.
If Farke opts to stick with the former Udinese man instead of Struijk this weekend, then it is clear that he has a serious fight on his hands to regain his place.
Bijol is clearly a capable defender, and his superior top-level experience to Struijk could easily see him become the first-choice to partner Rodon moving forward.
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