Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow, and Joe Rodon all lost to Belgium on Tuesday night, with a 4-2 defeat for Wales in UEFA World Cup qualifying.
Joe Rodon is a mainstay for Leeds United under Daniel Farke, having started the last 88 league games in a row now. He is also one of the most important players for His country.
That fact is underlined by Rodon collecting two Wales Player of the Match awards during the 3-0 loss to England and in last night’s 4-2 home defeat to Belgium. He bagged the opening goal of the game.
He’s had a knack for scoring goals lately, with Rodon on the best run of his Wales and Leeds career. In fact, the ex-Swansea City man has scored on his last two appearances at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Leeds United fans love Joe Rodon’s goalscoring antics
The header against Bournemouth was Rodon’s third club goal but he has five career goals now, with three of those coming in the last five months and four in the last 10 months.
Following the Bournemouth header, Rodon admitted his frustration at not scoring enough for Leeds. In fact, at the time of the Derby County goal in December, Rodon’s Leeds teammates teased him for his ’50p head’.
In fact, it’s four goals in 41 games now for the 27-year-old, having scored once in the first 240 professional appearances for club and country. Leeds fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to Rodon scoring again.
One reporter said: “Brilliant start from Wales. Joe Rodon adding goals to his game is fantastic. From one in his senior career to three in the last few months. Sorba Thomas with his fifth assist of the campaign.”
One Leeds fan account added: “Great to see Joe Rodon scoring for his country tonight! 👏🏼 Adding goals to his game 🧱”
A further response read: “3 headed goals since June for Joe Rodon. Well done. Keep it up. 👑 #LUFC”
Rodon has been described as ‘captain material’ on international duty previously, but he is adding further strings to his bow with the goals, and is not so ‘hopeless’ as some describe it.
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Jermaine Beckford’s view of Joe Rodon scoring more goals
Jermaine Beckford recently challenged Rodon to score more frequently for club and country. He said: “This is an area of his game that needs to improve.
“I think, defensively, he is fantastic. The aggression is there, the pace is there, the awareness of positional sense is unbelievable; it’s really, really good.
“The only side that lets him down is in the attacking area. If he’s able to chip in with five, six, seven goals this season — and seven’s a little bit of a stretch, don’t get me wrong.
“But if he can get himself four, five, six goals this season, I think that’s brilliant. And that shows how much we’ve improved from set-pieces.”
He’s well on his way now, and Rodon seems to have added something if the last ~year or so is anything to go by.
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