Adam Forshaw has revealed he was ‘sad’ to see Victor Orta leave Leeds United following his sacking earlier this month.
Forshaw was speaking in an interview with LeedsLive, where he shared his gratitude to Orta for the impact he has had on his career.
Orta was relieved of his duties in the wake of Leeds’ damaging 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth at the end of April, which also saw Javi Gracia lose his job.
Gracia was the latest of a long line of failed decisions by Orta in his final couple of years at Elland Road, with the Spaniard heavily criticised for some poor signings and a dreadful succession plan to Marcelo Bielsa.
Ultimately, due to supporter backlash that saw his position at the club become untenable and Andrea Radrizzani felt it was the correct time to pull the trigger.
Forshaw opens up on Orta’s Leeds exit
While Orta never really endeared himself into the heart of the Leeds fanbase, he was seen as a huge character around Thorp Arch.
Several players including Mateusz Klich, Luis Sinisterra and Marc Roca took to social media to wish him well, with Orta, of course, responsible for bringing all three of those to West Yorkshire.
Forshaw was Orta’s 30th signing in just his second transfer window as sporting director at Leeds, with the two having known each other from their days at Middlesbrough.
The 31-year-old believes Orta achieved ‘some amazing things’ during his time at the club and labelled his departure as a ‘sad’ day.
“I knew Victor before from Middlesbrough. He’s done a lot for me and my career and I’ve got nothing, but thanks for him.
“He’s always done everything with the best intentions. He wears his heart on his sleeve, as everyone knows, he had a massive impact here at the club, definitely.
“It was sad. He’s been here for six years. It’s a shame to see him go. That’s football sometimes. He’s done some amazing things for the club and we do have to remember that.”
Given the messages and quotes from players on Orta since his departure, it is clear he was a popular figure within the club.
However, his frequent outbursts towards supporters and costly footballing decisions ultimately meant his position at Leeds became untenable.
Leeds need to move on from this era as swiftly as possible and ensure they get the right man in to replace him.