Joe Rodon Declares Leeds United Squad ‘Delighted’ to Have ‘Brilliant’ Player Back in the Team

Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Glen Kamara have been sold, joined by Georginio Rutter, while Liam Cooper, Jamie Shackleton, Connor Roberts, and Jaidon Anthony have also departed.

The only new additions to the squad so far are Joe Rothwell and Jayden Bogle, with Joe Rodon signed permanently after his loan last season and Alex Cairns arriving as the third-choice goalkeeper, though he’s unlikely to see much action.

However, a few returning players have made a significant impact, almost like new signings.

Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson, and Pascal Struijk, who is back after a six-month injury layoff, have been particularly notable.

Rodon, who has played in all three games this season, initially struggled to meet his usual high standards but showed improvement in the match against West Brom, where Leeds achieved their first clean sheet of the season after conceding six goals in their first two matches.

Struijk also looked impressive, despite a bit of rust, and together with Rodon, they managed to stifle West Brom’s attacking threats effectively.

In an interview with Sky Sports after the West Brom game, Rodon expressed his pleasure at having Struijk back in the squad under manager Daniel Farke.

“The whole team knows how important Pascal is to us, and he showed that today. He was brilliant.

We’re delighted to have him back and hope to continue pushing forward for the rest of the season.”

Struijk’s return is particularly crucial for set-pieces, an area Leeds struggled with during his absence.

His presence in both boxes is unmatched; he won headers and came close to scoring on two occasions.

Just before halftime, his deflected header nearly found the bottom corner, and a flicked effort in the second half also came close to a goal.

Struijk’s fit and effective presence is vital for Leeds, especially in breaking down resilient defenses and converting set-pieces.