Isaac Schmidt has played just 10 minutes of football since joining Leeds United but he certainly isn’t letting that get him down.
Schmidt joined as Leeds’ eighth and final signing of the summer from FC St. Gallen on deadline day but hasn’t really been able to showcase his ability to the fans just yet.
Junior Firpo and Jayden Bogle is very much Daniel Farke‘s first-choice full-back pairing and when one of those two have been unavailable, Sam Byram has got the nod over Schmidt.
In fact, all four of Schmidt’s brief cameos so far have actually come as a winger, and he even registered an assist for Joel Piroe’s strike against QPR in his most recent appearance.
However, Schmidt has not had the chance to play since after undergoing minor surgery on a hernia during the international break. Farke did confirm Schmidt’s return to training earlier this week.
Schmidt discusses Leeds lack of game time
Farke was pressed on his limited use of Schmidt in a press conference last month and the Leeds boss’ answer was pretty brutal.
Despite admitting the 24-year-old had struggled with a couple of minor injuries, Farke told Schmidt to step up in training if he wanted more game time.
With Firpo now back from a three-match ban, Schmidt is going to find it even more difficult to play once he returns from injury, but speaking in an interview with 20 minutes, he isn’t letting that get him down.
In fact, Schmidt says he is actually pleased to have even seen the pitch at all so far, but insists he will ‘fight’ for his place as much as he can, which is exactly the sort of attitude Leeds fans want to hear.
He said: “I’m already happy to have had a few minutes of play. Me, being able to come in and contribute offensively – in all the matches I played, I played right winger! That’s already really cool.
“I know that I have to take a step forward and that I’m going to have to fight for my place. Nothing is ever a given in football.”
Schmidt shares how he’s settled at Leeds
Schmidt’s lack of game time on the field may have made it more difficult to settle off it, but that does not appear to be the case at Leeds.
In the same interview, Schmidt says he actually surprised at how well he has been received since moving to West Yorkshire, confirming the team have been ‘very welcoming’.
He said: “I was very well received. When I arrived here, I found mentors who helped me settle in. They explained everything to me. The team is good, very welcoming. I didn’t necessarily expect that.
“Because we know that, when you reach the highest level, it can quickly become every man for himself. But not here, and I’m happy to be here.”
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