Mateo Joseph makes Leeds United promotion claim after what he did for Spain U21s

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Leeds United star Mateo Joseph enjoyed a fine night on the international stage for Spain U21s on Thursday night.

Having committed his allegiance to Spain earlier this year, Joseph was handed his first start for the U21s against Kazakhstan in their penultimate qualifier for the European Championships.

Joseph has already showcased what he can do for Spain U21s before with late winners off the bench against Belgium and Scotland earlier on in the qualifying campaign.

However, this was officially Joseph’s full debut and he wasted no time in making an impact as he netted a clinical first half hattrick in a 4-3 win.

All three of Joseph’s goals came from inside the six-yard box, in what was a sign of how clinical he could be if given the service at Elland Road.

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What Leeds star Joseph said after Spain hattrick

Joseph was brought off just before the hour mark in the game last night, making it probably the best possible scenario for Daniel Farke.

The 20-year-old has netted only one goal for Leeds so far this season but should be returning next week both full of confidence and with relatively fresh legs thanks to his international exploits.

After being dropped to the bench at Sunderland, Joseph will be hoping his performance was enough to tempt Farke into bringing him back into the side against Sheffield United.

That said, rotation will be important over the course of the season to ensure Joseph does not burn out, with this is his first proper season in senior football playing regularly.

Speaking in an interview after the game, Joseph spoke of his delight at netting a hattrick and is now hoping he can replicate this form at Leeds, where he is determined to win promotion.

He said: “Very happy to represent my country, I have always wanted to be here. My goal is to do the best I can with Leeds, to get promoted, which is where the club deserves to be.”

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When is Joseph next in action for Spain U21s?

Leeds’ preparation for the game against Sheffield United will be far from ideal considering it is on the Friday night immediately after the break.

Unfortunately, Joseph is among the group of players who won’t get much time to recover, with Spain not back in action until Tuesday, kick-off 4pm BST.

Spain U21s have already comfortably sealed their qualification for next summer’s European Championships but face their final match at home to Malta.

Malta haven’t picked up a single point in their nine matches so it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for Spain. Hopefully Joseph is among those rotated out.