Joel Robles was one of those in attendance to watch Leeds United’s under-21s seal promotion by winning their play-off final on Monday.
Paco Gallardo’s side beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at Elland Road to seal an immediate return to Premier League 2 Division One. It was a dominant performance from the Whites youngsters, with Georginio Rutter amongst the goalscorers.
It was a fantastic result for the club’s youngsters, who have given the fans something to smile about in a really difficult campaign for Leeds as a whole.
Joel Robles congratulates Leeds under-21s after play-off final win
And there was a nice moment following the celebrations, which Leeds have posted on their Instagram story – and it involved first-team goalkeeper Joel Robles.
The Spaniard was stood at the end of the Elland Road tunnel as the players made their way off the pitch, with one clip showing him congratulating Diogo Monteiro.
It is not clear how many of the first-team were at the game. But it was a brilliant gesture from Joel, who has seen his stock really rise in the last few weeks.
Of course, few doubted that he was a smart signing for Leeds. He arrived on a free transfer to provide cover and competition for Illan Meslier.
But it seemed a gamble to throw him in when Meslier was struggling. However, after two games, plenty of fans are wondering why Joel wasn’t used sooner.
He has probably not done anything particularly spectacular. But he looks much more confident than Meslier. He has been much more commanding. And it says everything that little has been needed to be said about the saves he has made.
Ideally, Leeds will have a number one they can really rely on next year. But with Joel doing well in the side right now, it makes all the sense in the world to keep him beyond this season.