Brenden Aaronson has now been back in pre-season training at Leeds United for almost a week.
Aaronson‘s first day back at the club was last Friday after making the decision to cut short his holiday and return to Leeds early following his decision to comeback.
Despite the potential negative reaction he may receive from supporters, Aaronson was quick to show his face alongside the rest of his teammates, having been in attendance for Leeds’ win at Harrogate Town.
He then got his first taste of pre-season action on Wednesday as he played the opening 45 minutes of Leeds‘ 4-1 victory over Hannover in Germany.
It did not take Aaronson long to make an impact, either, as he provided a beautiful assist for Ilia Gruev to open the scoring.
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Aaronson shares what he’s noticed after returning to Leeds
Though the calibre of opposition may be lower than what Leeds will face on a week-to-week basis in the Championship, Daniel Farke‘s side have been very impressive so far.
Leeds barely allowed League Two side Harrogate a shot at goal last week, while the level of performance against Hannover was high, despite it only being the second game of the summer.
Aaronson caught the eye with some clever touches in his first proper session back at Leeds, and clearly took that momentum into Wednesday’s game.
Speaking in an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Aaronson says he has been left very impressed by the standards that have been set by Leeds in pre-season, and already thinks they are well prepared for a strong campaign.
He said: “Yeah I’m in a really good place, I feel really sharp, I feel really confident, I feel like I fit the system really well with the guys. I know most of the guys, we’re really close and we have good relationships.
“So I think it’s really great to be back and see the guys and I think I’ve been smiling the whole time and just really excited to be back.
“I mean, from the first couple days that I’ve got here, I said that it’s so professional, it’s super high standards, and I really liked that, you know, because I think that it creates this team that – I mean yesterday, I’ll give you an example.
“It was my first game of course, but I think in friendlies teams can go out, we’ve had tough sessions here, but we went and we were on the front foot from the beginning, you know and I think that that just shows the standards here.
“It’s to win every game, win every friendly game and play at the highest level which I think we did yesterday. We need to continue to have this high standard throughout, going to meals, regen sessions like today, and I think that yeah, we’re gonna have a great season.”
Aaronson admits one worry about Leeds return
Aaronson can only control what he can control after returning to Leeds and that is working hard in training every day in preparation for turning up on matchdays.
His decision to leave on loan last summer prompted a lot of criticism from supporters, which has left him a little nervous upon his return. However, he is determined to get himself back in the good-books.
He said: “Yeah, of course I think that, I mean with Leeds’ fan base, it’s a fan base that’s huge, that has a big following that really looks after the players and definitely has feelings at times.
“But I think yeah, it’s always a little nerve racking because I’m an emotional guy. I like to be well-liked at the end of the day, but I know that there’s going to be some people that aren’t happy and that kind of thing.
“But what I will say is I’m just coming back to help the team and I always give my all on the pitch and I think they’ll be able to see that.”
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