Ronaldo Vieira reveals sacrifice he made when quitting Leeds despite Marcelo Bielsa's wishes

Ronaldo Vieira has revealed he felt "scared and sad" when he was informed Leeds United wished to sell him.

The defensive midfielder joined the Whites' academy system in the summer of 2015.

He impressed during his time at Thorp Arch and signed professional terms in May 2016, penning a two-year deal.

Vieira would go on to make 62 appearances in the Championship for Leeds over the next two seasons, becoming an important player as such.

The summer of 2018 saw Marcelo Bielsa take over as Leeds boss, kick-starting one of the most successful eras in the club's modern history.

However, Vieira wouldn't play a part in it, but as he's now revealed, that was largely his decision.

What did Ronaldo Vieira do to help reach a Leeds exit decision?

After three years in West Yorkshire, Vieira decided to call time on his Leeds career.

Italian outfit Sampdoria came calling, and thus a move to the Serie A side materialised, which was a big step for the Guinea-Bissau international to make.

However, in a revealing interview with Gianlucadimarzio.com, he's now opened up on what his thought process was at the time of his Whites exit.

The report states that just prior to his move to Sampdoria, Vieira had a bought a house in Leeds, whilst Bielsa had informed him that he was part of his plans.

It was then that former Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani told Vieira that the club needed to offload him.

"I was scared and sad, because I felt part of the project," Vieira revealed.

"I left the stadium with my family, got in the car, and went for a drive alone to think. Then Sampdoria's offer.

"My agent explained to me that I wasn't obligated to accept. I thought about it and said, 'If it helps Leeds, I'll do it.'

"I was going to Serie A, to a big team. Two days later, I was in Genoa."

So, where is Vieira playing his football now, and did his career kick on after leaving Leeds?

Vieira isn't playing in European football

After signing for Sampdoria in the summer of 2018, Vieira played just 15 times in all competitions during his debut campaign in Italy.

He spent time on loan with Hellas Verona in 2020-21, before returning to Sampdoria for an 18-month stint in their first-team again.

Vieira was sent out on loan to Torino for the second half of the 2022-23 season, and again spent 18 months in Sampdoria's first-team after his return.

In total, he played 113 times for Sampdoria, but he could never truly cement a key first-team role and eventually left permanently in last year's summer window.

Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit San Jose Earthquakes acquired his signature, where he's since turned out 32 times for the California-based side.

So far in 2026, Vieira has made 25 total appearances and has started 21 of 23 games in MLS, so it looks as though he's enjoying life across the pond now.

But at 28 years old and to be playing in MLS, with all due respect, that's probably not seen Vieira reach his once highly-touted potential as a young Leeds midfielder.