Leeds United’s Joe Rodon may not have been the standout player against AFC Bournemouth, but he scored and impressed in the game.
Joe Rodon is a mainstay for Leeds United under Daniel Farke, having started the last 88 league games in a row now. Following a sending off against Hull City in 2023/24, Rodon came out of the side.
He was suspended for a 3-0 win over Watford and benched in a 3-1 defeat to Southampton, but he has become an ever-present since then.
The problem with Rodon hasn’t been his availability nor his consistency, but the fact that he scores so infrequently for a player so aerially dominant. The 6’4″ centre-back has just four career goals.
Joe Rodon sets career best in Leeds 2-2 Bournemouth
The header against Bournemouth was Rodon’s third goal and his second for Leeds after a header from a Joe Rothwell corner in a 2-0 win over Derby County last season.
Following that goal, Rodon admitted his frustration at not scoring more for Leeds. In fact, at the time of the Derby goal, Rodon’s Leeds teammates teased him for his ’50p head’.
Rodon was ‘absolutely immense’ in the run-in, particularly around the time of the Oxford United game. Of course, like with many other promoted players, there were question marks over whether they can make the step up to the Premier League.
So far, Rodon has shown why he is someone to build the team around alongside Pascal Struijk. The Dutchman may score more regularly and he scored five last season alone, which is two more than Rodon’s entire career.
However, Struijk and Rodon complement one another well for Leeds — and the statistics show it. Speaking of the stats, Rodon set a new career best by scoring his first-ever Premier League goal, but that wasn’t his only first in the game.
Per Opta’s Jonny Cooper, yesterday saw Rodon register his most shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (six) in a league match in his entire career, and it was the first time he’d had two shots on target in a game as well.
It’s perhaps for those reasons why Jermaine Beckford believes Rodon has to score more frequently. He said as much post-match. However, Farke is more concerned at Rodon’s temperament at times over scoring goals more regularly.
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Could Joe Rodon be Leeds captain?
Rodon has been described as ‘captain material’ and he was handed the armband in pre-season in the absence of Ethan Ampadu and Struijk.
He has two for Leeds, one for Stade Rennais, and one for Wales. It was during his 50th cap for Wales when he was told he could be more of a leader as well.
Tom Lockyer said: “He will be absolutely buzzing with that. To get 50 caps (starts) and then to top it off with a bullet header like that. Honestly, that’s what he’s been dreaming of.
Dave Edwards added: “It is a special moment and he’s a leader. That’s what this Wales team does have.
“They have a lot of leaders in the group and that’s important. Centre-back is an area we’re blessed with. We’ve got Chris Mepham, Ben Cabango, Ben Davies we can play in there.
“So we are really lucky in that position. Ethan Ampadu can obviously do a job as well. But I feel like he [Rodon] has made himself that main centre-back for Wales with his performances.
“He’s already on 50 appearances and he’s another one who could be captain material. He does it at Leeds. And that’s what Craig Bellamy will want — leaders out there. I think Joe Rodon epitomises that.”
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