Neil Warnock can’t wait to see how ‘favourite’ Leeds United player fares in the Premier League next season

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Leeds United have been promoted to the Premier League and the task now for the club is to stay in England’s top tier and build a squad capable of top-tier survival.

Consolidation is crucial. Teams like Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Brighton are all Premier League mainstays but have had to endure a couple of relegation scraps to get into their position now.

That is something Leeds will have to do next season, but face the growing gap between Premier League and Championship. Last season’s three promoted sides are all set to return to the Championship.

Some arguments say this Leeds side are better-placed, better financially than those three. Southampton spent poorly, Ipswich had just come up from League One and Leicester suffered Financial Fairplay’s wrath.

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Neil Warnock excited to watch one Leeds United player next term

This Leeds side has Premier League experience. Illan Meslier, Karl Darlow, Jayden Bogle, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Junior Firpo, Joe Rothwell, Manor Solomon, and Brenden Aaronson have played in the top tier.

So has Dan James and not just for Leeds. James has been nominated for the Championship Player of the Season and rightly so, having a hand in 21 goals this season and Neil Warnock is excited to see him.

Talking to TalkSPORT (April 22, 8.10AM), former Leeds boss Warnock said: “All credit to Daniel Farke. He had some stick earlier in the season, they weren’t getting wins. But he’s brought the best out of them.

“My favourite player is Dan James – I’ve been watching him for a couple of years. He just excites me. I’m looking forward to seeing him take on defenders in the Premier League,” Warnock said about James.

Why this is a different Dan James compared to early Leeds years

Joining Leeds for £25m in the summer of 2021, having almost joined Leeds 18 months earlier, the Wales ace struggled. He was played up top by Marcelo Bielsa due to injuries before Jesse Marsch axed him.

The pocket-sized speed machine was loaned to Fulham where he was used rotationally. He chose to return to Leeds and Daniel Farke has got the best out of him, urging James to shoot at goal more often.

Dan James’ Premier League stats compared to last two seasons:

It has paid off and while it is the Championship, James has been much more effective in the final third. Many will point to his Premier League form and question if he can do it, but this is a different animal.