Weston McKennie helped Juventus beat Premier League champions Manchester City on Wednesday night with a superb goal, and he spoke about life at Leeds United after the 2-0 win.
McKennie has reintegrated himself with Juventus after leaving The Old Lady in January 2023. McKennie played 20 times for Leeds during the second half of the 22-23 season, as Leeds were eventually relegated.
The USA star struggled alongside many other poor Jesse Marsch signings that season. Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Brenden Aaronson and more failed to show why they had been brought to Elland Road.
McKennie returned to Juventus but to the surprise of perhaps himself and certainly, Leeds fans, McKennie won his place back. Last season, he laid on 10 assists in 38 games and is impressing again this season.
Leeds United fans react as McKennie discusses Elland Road spell
The midfielder lashed home Juve’s second after coming off the bench, a gorgeous mid-air bicycle kick as Thiago Motta’s men beat Man City 2-0 in Turin. McKennie’s goal left Leeds fans in shock on social media.
After the game, McKennie was asked about his ill-fated Leeds spell with Micah Richards on CBS Sports. The midfielder seemed to blame a lack of sunshine for his poor form, rather than his fitness of quality.
It has angered Leeds fans on social media, who have slammed McKennie’s attitude. Indeed for a large part of the loan spell, it seemed as if McKennie did not particularly care and looked rather uninterested.
Amid the barrage of criticism that cannot be repeated, Leeds fans could not believe what they were made to witness from McKennie. One fan simply responded: “we didn’t get any sunlight performances”.
One Leeds fan said “don’t come back, Leeds isn’t for you”. Another angered supporter summed up his time at Leeds by saying his time at Leeds was full of “terrible performances”.
Another Elland Road-goer responded by saying “why do we even care?”, and that McKennie was “useless” but even if he was good while at Leeds, the USA star would not have stopped Leeds from going down.
Weston McKennie saves career at Juventus since Leeds spell
The box-to-box midfielder will only be remembered on the pitch for his long throw-ins, such is the tiny amount of quality he added to the Leeds side during the half-season spell at Elland Road in 2022-23.
But if McKennie is due any credit, which is not going to be forthcoming from Leeds fans, he has turned his career around now back at Juventus. The star has 15 goals and assists in 53 games since returning.
Such form has seen Premier League clubs linked with McKennie of late, keen to offer him a second go in England. Jack Harrison’s Everton wanted McKennie, while Manchester United might even sign McKennie.
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