On Friday afternoon, Daniel Farke spoke to the press ahead of his Leeds United side’s game against Everton in the Premier League on Monday.
Leeds United kickstart their Premier League season with a home game against Everton. It’s a tough opener for the Whites and against an Everton side who’ve stocked up relatively well this summer, with Jack Grealish the latest to make the move to Merseyside.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke has enjoyed a decent summer of his own. Leeds United have signed seven new players, although the flurry of signings quickly dried up, with many fans left wondering when and who the next signing will be.
And on Friday, Leeds United confirmed the signing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin who was released by Everton last summer, though it’s unlikely that he will feature in the squad against his former side on Monday.
Daniel Farke reveals what people said about Junior Firpo at Leeds United
On Friday, Farke was asked about Jack Harrison. In the last pre-season friendly game against AC Milan and in the first against Manchester United, the Leeds United fans were heard booing Harrison. But Farke has backed the 28-year-old to win back the trust of supporters, highlighting Junior Firpo as a case study.
Farke says that everyone insisted Firpo was the ‘worst signing ever’ when he took charge of the club in 2023. But last season, Firpo went on to be a key player for Leeds United, with 10 assists and four goals in 32 league appearances.
The Leeds United boss said: “With Junior Firpo, when I came in, everyone told me he was the worst signing ever in the club history. And I said, ‘no, wait, this guy will be outstanding for us on Championship level’, and he went as a hero.”
When will Junior Firpo make his debut for Real Betis?
Former Barcelona man Firpo certainly endured a bit of a rollercoaster spell at Elland Road. Signing in 2021, the 28-year-old went on to make 122 total appearances for the Whites, with six goals along the way.
And there were spells where Leeds United fans were really unhappy with Firpo’s performances. But in the second half of last season, he was arguably the best left-back in the Championship and his return to the fold around New Year really gave Leeds United an extra dimension in the second half of the season.
Since, Firpo has joined Real Betis on a free transfer. He’s been featuring regularly in pre-season and he looks set to make his debut on Monday night when his Betis side go up against Elche in La Liga.
Leeds United’s Premier League opener against Everton kicks off at 8pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports.
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