‘He is class’… Pundit says Leeds United have an unbelievable player who nobody even talks about

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Daniel Farke watched his side dispatch Swansea City on Tuesday night 4-0, and it could have been a whole lot more. Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto took the plaudits, as Leeds won again.

But once again, 23-year-old Ilia Gruev was sensational in midfield. He completed a whopping 88 of 91 passes in difficult conditions, the pitch bobbly and the ball zipping about. Gruev has been sensational.

Perhaps harsh, that it was Patrick Bamford that won the January Player of the Month award at Leeds – but it just goes to show how well every Leeds player is playing. Defensively, and in the final third now.

Gruev is thriving on Pascal Struijk’s injury, with Farke moving Ethan Ampadu into the middle of the park. With Struijk expected to return in a month, it will be interesting to see if he comes back into the side.

Speaking on the What The EFL? podcast, pundit Adrian Clarke spoke about Gruev – describing him as a “smooth operator” as he “effortlessly” strolls about the pitch and keeps things ticking for the Whites.

“The other player I really like in the Leeds team that no one really talks about and that’s the Bulgaria lad, Ilia Gruev. He is class, he really is a smooth operator in the heart of the engine room. Gets about the pitch, recovers possession kind of effortlessly but he does with the ball,” Clarke says, about Gruev.

“He just moves it early and quickly but with real quality and rarely gives the ball away. He can drop a pass over the top of a defender all day long for those wide players. Gruev is another great piece of recruitment from Leeds United. Whoever is in charge of the transfers deserves an awful lot of credit.”

Adrian Clarke raves about Leeds United midfielder Ilia Gruev

Gruev has been absolutely sensational. Even more so, because the midfielder has been made to wait for a run in the side during the first half of the season – after playing in the Bundesliga for Werder, last term.

The midfielder has now surely done enough to warrant a starting spot from now until the end of the 23-24, not just because of his form – but because of his relationship with Glen Kamara. Brilliant, so far.