‘I knew’… 25-year-old midfielder admits he’s let Leeds United fans down

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Leeds United’s current squad looks a whole lot different to the one that was here 12 months ago.

Relegation from the Premier League saw a number of players depart Elland Road either on loan or permanently, as Leeds underwent a huge reset both on and off the pitch.

Such a difficult period of results brought a lot of animosity towards the squad, and perhaps the player who received the majority of that was former loanee Weston McKennie.

McKennie joined on loan from Juventus 12 months ago but failed to live up to the hype with a hugely disappointing spell, and in an interview with 8by8mag, has now opened up on his time at Leeds.

The 25-year-old believes he let down Leeds supporters with his performances and despite acknowledging his ‘bad showing’, he still thinks it was a ‘step forward’ in his career.

McKennie acknowledges ‘bad’ Leeds showing

He said: “I’m someone who always tries to think positively. I believe in God, I believe there’s always a plan, there’s a journey that’s set out for you, and everything happens for a reason. So, I still view my move to Leeds as a step forward for me.

“It might not be in other people’s eyes. But I think that’s what I needed at that time in my career. Every player can get a little bit complacent and comfortable with what they’re doing.

“I think going to Leeds and having the experience I had there, I may have let some people down. I may have let some fans down who supported Leeds and believed in me.

“When I left Leeds, I knew I had a bad showing. I knew I didn’t have the time that I thought I was going to have or that maybe I should have had.

“It put me in a mindset that when I came back here to Juventus, I was starting brand new. I’m going back to Juventus like it’s my first time. I have to prove myself all over again.”

This is not the first time McKennie has reflected honestly on his spell at Leeds, admitting earlier in the season that his fitness levels were, perhaps, not up to scratch.

In fairness to McKennie, he clearly has used the disappointment of Leeds as a turning point in his career, as he has now established himself as a regular at Juventus, having initially been surplus to requirements.

Thankfully for Leeds, though, that era is now very much a thing of the past and hopefully promotion can be secured, so they can have a better go of the Premier League.