Leeds United begin pre-season training in one week and there’s still so much that needs to be done before they’re ready for the new season. Acquiring a new head coach is clearly top of the list and the club will hope to be in a position to make an appointment in the coming days.
It’s not just the fans watching on eagerly, though. The players will be keeping a keen eye on developments in the Elland Road dugout as they prepare to return to Thorp Arch and begin preparing for the start of the Championship campaign.
The new head coach means a clean slate and a number of Leeds United players will be hoping to make the most of their fresh starts in order to get careers back on track. Here’s five such Whites stars we have picked out.
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Pascal Struijk
Struijk actually started last season pretty well. The defender was asked to play out of position in the left-back role, but he took it in his stride and made it his own with a number of encouraging performances.
He kept hold of the spot when Junior Firpo returned to fitness and despite a couple of tougher performances in the New Year, he held it until February, when a head knock saw him miss several weeks of action. His form nosedived from that point onwards and as Leeds started their descent towards the relegation zone, Struijk looked a shadow of the player he was at the start of the campaign.
As such, he’ll be hoping to use the summer to reset and put himself in a position to tackle the new season under a new manager head on. His versatility will stand him in good stead, you’d think, and should he impress in pre-season, he is more than capable of nailing down a starting spot against Cardiff City on August 6.
Joe Gelhardt
There was plenty of expectation surrounding Gelhardt as he approached the 2022-23 season but no matter what he did he just could not build on the progress he made the following season. The forward struggled for chances over the first half of the campaign and that seemed to affect his confidence moving forward.
Georginio Rutter’s arrival saw him fall further down the pecking order and eventually resulted in a loan switch to Sunderland, where he was asked to lead the line. Gelhardt managed to bag three goals in 18 appearances during an inconsistent spell at the Stadium of Light before seeing the Black Cats fall short in the play-offs.
He’ll have a point to prove this season at Elland Road, then, as he looks to continue his development and take the next steps in his career. A new head coach might just help him do that and he’ll be determined to return to Thorp Arch and hit the ground running next month.
Dan James
James is another who spent most of last season away from Elland Road, joining Fulham after being deemed surplus to requirements in West Yorkshire. His loan switch didn’t go to plan and he struggled to make the desired impact under Marco Silva, but his status at Leeds may have changed following their relegation from the top flight.
The Welshman isn’t expected to be present on day one of pre-season following his international exploits earlier this month and his future remains somewhat uncertain at present. But, if he is to stay at the club, his potential to make a difference for the Whites in the Championship, under a new head coach, is obvious.
Brenden Aaronson
Aaronson’s future is unclear, too. The American has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga this summer, with reports of a relegation release clause emerging just a few days after Leeds’ last game of the Premier League season.
However, despite his struggles in his debut season, Leeds may well find themselves looking at Aaronson as one of the players who could help the club bounce back at the first time of asking. The 22-year-old received plenty of criticism for his performances last season, but drawing a line under it and working towards a new goal at a different level with a new manager, might just be the best thing for him.
Aaronson clearly has heaps of talent and if he can rediscover the confidence he arrived at Leeds last summer, he could be a real threat for the Whites.
Georginio Rutter
Of all the players on this list, Rutter was easily the most underwhelming last time around. Leeds broke their transfer record to land the Frenchman in the January transfer window, but he made just one Premier League start for the club and failed to make his mark.
Rutter has been linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer, with a return to Hoffenheim being mooted, but he’ll almost certainly have a point to prove should he stay at Elland Road this summer. The pressure will be on him to perform, given his £35m price tag, but with the right management and direction, Leeds will hope to see the 21-year-old begin to flourish in West Yorkshire.
