Brenden Aaronson says what has changed so much about him since playing in Germany ahead of Leeds return

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Brenden Aaronson has spoken for the first time since the news broke he would be returning to Leeds United next season.

Aaronson was one of eight members of last season’s first team squad to leave on loan 12 months ago in the wake of Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League.

However, it became apparent earlier this week that Aaronson would be taking the brave decision of giving his Leeds career a second go, despite the ill-feeling towards that group of loanees.

Aaronson has already held talks with Daniel Farke about what next season could hold, and has explained exactly what the Leeds boss told him in the conversation.

The 23-year-old has defied the advice of former Whites boss Jesse Marsch in making this decision, and so it will certainly be interesting to see the impact he can make.

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Aaronson shares what has changed about him ahead of Leeds return

Aaronson spent last season on loan at Bundesliga side Union Berlin and actually opted to turn down a move back to Germany in favour of coming back to Leeds.

Just like at Elland Road, Aaronson was involved in another relegation battle at Union, but towards the end of the season, actually played a decent role in helping to keep them up.

He scored two goals and provided two assists in the final 13 matches of the season, having initially really struggled to cope with the physicality of the Bundesliga.

Aaronson is clearly familiar with the criticism he has received regarding this particular attribute of his game, based on a new interview with the Athletic.

He claims in the 12 months since he left Leeds, he has gained ‘six points of muscle mass’, which should really help him in adapting to the Championship.

He said: “Playing in the Bundesliga is super physical, it’s just a battering. The biggest thing I learned this year is working on physicality. I got a nutritionist and I gained six pounds of muscle mass, which is huge for me.

“I had to gain weight. At Union, there wasn’t a ton of football. We were without the ball much more. It forced me to get stronger and win more duels.”

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Aaronson shares what Farke told him about Leeds return

As mentioned, Aaronson also shed some light on the conversation in which he has had with Farke prior to making his decision.

Farke was actually considering whether to recall Aaronson back in January and so clearly he has been keeping an eye on how he has been getting on.

Aaronson revealed that he really enjoyed the talks he held with Farke, particularly given he was already out of the door before the German had even been appointed.

He said: “It was an awesome conversation. The role he sees me playing, the games he watched of me, how I fit into the team, and, importantly, the things I can get better at.”