Leeds United could receive unexpected boost as Cody Drameh learning from Ashley Cole at Birmingham City
There was no shortage of players departing Leeds United on loan deals this summer, with plenty of players leaving Elland Road following relegation to the Championship.
While a majority of the Whites’ departures were completed early in the transfer window, Cody Drameh’s loan switch to Birmingham City was completed much later in the summer, with the right-back heading to St Andrew’s following the arrival of Djed Spence.
Ultimately, Leeds’ supporters haven’t seen much of the Tottenham right-back as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. But in the Midlands, Drameh has been a regular feature for Blues, both under John Eustace and now Wayne Rooney.
There has been some criticism of Rooney’s start to life at St Andrew’s with Birmingham losing their first two games under the former England striker, but Drameh has been vocal in his support of his new manager and also his assistant coach Ashley Cole.
As quoted by Leeds Live (27 October) he said: “I’ve worked with Ashley Cole in the England Under-21s set-up, there’s no better person to take advice from. He’s done it at the highest level. He knows what to pass on.”
Drameh may not currently be a Leeds United player, but should he return to Elland Road after his loan deal, he will come back into Daniel Farke’s side having been coached by one of England and the Premier League’s best full-backs.
While that doesn’t automatically make somebody a good coach, Cole is incredibly highly thought of by several players who have played under him at Everton and in the England youth set-up and there are few coaches with greater experience of English football.
Currently, Drameh falls behind Spence, Luke Ayling and likely Stuart Dallas in Farke’s pecking order and the former Norwich City boss has even opted to play the young midfield duo of Archie Gray and Jamie Shackleton on the right of defence rather than keep the 21-year-old at Elland Road this season.
But Spence is set to return to Tottenham at the end of the current campaign, while Luke Ayling may be reluctant to extend his current contract which expires in the summer of 2024 which could open the door for the Whites’ loanee to find his feet in Farke’s side.
If Drameh continues to impress at Birmingham and can learn from Cole to develop his game, he could well extend his own contract in Yorkshire, which also comes to an end at the end of the season. Hopefully, he continues to take the former Chelsea left-back’s advice as it could be a huge boost to Leeds in the long run.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites may be set to lose Robin Koch permanently after his Europa Conference League heroics