Leeds United player finally ends dismal 14-month wait for a win with his National Team

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Promotion to the Premier League was brilliant for Leeds United, but for some of Daniel Farke’s squad, it has proven to be a difficult transition. Ilia Gruev is struggling for game time.

Just two Premier League starts have been afforded to Gruev since Leeds went up, only because captain Ethan Ampadu picked up an injury in the win over Everton. Gruev looks unlikely to get many minutes.

There are a number of players in Gruev’s position. Pascal Struijk finds himself on the bench again, while Joel Piroe, Dan James, Willy Gnonto, and others have been forced out of the starting XI this season.

Dimitar Berbatov has told Gruev to remain patient and take his chance when it arrives. With the National Team, things haven’t been much better for Gruev. Reports said Gruev was centre of a ‘serious scandal’.

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Ilia Gruev ends 14-month wait for Bulgaria win on Tuesday

Gruev hammered his manager and teammates in the dressing room after a loss to Spain in September. As the only member of Bulgaria’s side to be in Europe’s top-five leagues, Gruev is seen as a leading player.

Since then, Bulgaria have replaced their manager with Gruev coming out on top. On Tuesday night, the midfielder finally tasted victory while in a Bulgaria shirt, ending a 14-month wait to win a game finally.

With their World Cup hopes over, Bulgaria and Georgia did battle in a dead rubber. Bulgaria got the win, their first points of the World Cup qualifying campaign, Gruev’s first Bulgaria win since September 2024.

Ilia Gruev’s stats for Bulgaria in win against Georgia

Gruev will be on the bench on Sunday when Leeds face Aston Villa, but he will certainly return to Thorp Arch with a spring in his step. A brilliant win for Bulgaria, which finally promotes a bit of Bulgarian hope.

Ilia Gruev stats for Bulgaria in win against Georgia:

• 90 minutes played, 7.4 FotMob rating (Bulgaria’s fourth-best)
• Seven defensive contributions, 37 touches
• 21/26 successful passes (81%), four passes into final third
• One tackle, two interceptions, five recoveries, four clearances
• 3/4 duels won, fouled once

Elsewhere, Jaka Bijol and Gabriel Gudmundsson played out a 1-1 draw in another dead rubber, but Wales’ trio Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow and Dan James helped Wales beat North Macedonia with a huge 7-1 win.

It sees Craig Bellamy’s side win a World Cup play-off place ahead of the March break. Brenden Aaronson came off the bench to play for the United States in a shock 4-1 win over Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay.