Leeds United are approaching the end of their first week in Australia and they are preparing for their second leg of the pre-season tour in Brisbane. They got their time Down Under off to a winning start on Thursday night by beating Brisbane Roar 2-1 and they’re now getting ready to take on Aston Villa at the Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Here’s what happened on day four of the Whites’ trip to Australia.
Fan treats
After seeing off Brisbane on Thursday night at the Cbus Super Stadium, a few members of the Leeds squad and Jesse Marsch made the journey up to Brisbane for a fan event at the Pig and Whistle Pub, organised by kit manufacturers Adidas and club sponsors JD Sports. Illan Meslier, Liam Cooper, Dan James and new signing Rasmus Kristensen were the players picked to attend and they seemed to enjoy themselves as they took part in a question and answer session with supporters.
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Laughs were had as Liam Cooper pretended to lift the diminutive Dan James onto his seat on stage and the crowd hung on every word said as the quintet spoke open and honestly about last season’s relegation battle, their trip to Australia and their aims and targets for the new season. Club captain Cooper opened up on the stress he went through last season, while Kristensen talked about the biggest setbacks he has been forced to overcome throughout his career, including being dropped by Marsch at Salzburg.
Fans were then invited up to the stage for an autograph, a chat and a photo with their favourite stars. There were around 150 fans inside the pub and many were associated with an Australian supporters’ group.
The club have hosted a couple of events for supporters so far and they’ll continue to engage with their antipodean friends over the course of the next week.
The best tattoo
Without doubt, the highlight of the day came when a Leeds fan was asked to reveal a recent tattoo of his ‘favourite Leeds moment’. Down he came to the stage before holding his arm up and showing off an image of Illan Meslier kissing the head of Dan James.
The moment came at Brentford last season as the Whites celebrated their Premier League survival and the Australian loved it that much, he had it inked onto his wrist. It was then rapidly recreated on stage as the goalkeeper leaned across to the Welshman and pecked the top of his head, much to the delight of the crowd.
Moving on
The Whites will spend their last evening on the Gold Coast before making the one-hour trip up to Brisbane on the coach on Saturday morning. They’ve trained at the impressive Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre for the final time and they’ll pull their boots on once more when they head to the Suncorp Stadium for an open training session.
Jesse Marsch revealed in his post-match press conference on Thursday that Friday’s session would be a big one, especially for those players who played less than 45 minutes against Brisbane Roar. After witnessing his side’s performance in the second half of that clash, fitness and tactical work will have dominated Marsch’s agenda.
Leeds will be staying in a city centre hotel in Brisbane, which is just a stone’s throw away from where they will be facing Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
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