Leeds United have dropped a major hint on what number latest signing Joel Robles will wear during his time at Elland Road. Robles was pictured with the number 22 on his training top in the Whites’ photo gallery ahead of this weekend’s trip to Southampton.
22 had become vacant this summer following Jack Harrison’s change to number 11, with the winger taking that from Tyler Roberts after his loan switch to Queens Park Rangers. Whether Robles’ number has any indication as to what role he will be playing this season remains to be seen.
First choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier is currently the club’s number one, while Kristoffer Klaesson is number 13 after spending all of last season as the Frenchman’s understudy. It is expected that Robles will come in as third choice to the aforementioned duo, but will provide excellent experience and competition to both young goalkeepers.
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Speaking in his pre-Southampton press conference, Jesse Marsch discussed the role that Robles will play this season after his sealing his move earlier this week. He said: “Yeah, I think the role for Joel is to really help support Illan and Kris but to compete with them and to push them every day.
“Obviously, our belief in Illan is at the highest level and even I think with the performance that he had against Wolves, it says everything. I think he's grown a lot and since I've been here, I've challenged him to become more of a leader more of a vocal presence and he's responding really well to that.
“I think a guy with experience like Joel can help him, that relationship will be important, then the goal is to have Kris as the number two but he has to earn it. In this situation, I think it's healthy competition.
“I think Joel, we've seen he is a quality goalkeeper, but more importantly a very good person. He's here for all the right reasons, which was really important to us and I've been very open with him, with the other two goalkeepers and with the entire team, that Joel is here not just to support them, but to push them, but to do it in a way where the goalkeeper group along with Marcos is really strong and really united. So far I think that they've done that at a really high level.”
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