Sam Byram says he has “regrets” about leaving Leeds United in January 2016 and had he known that the Whites would have been promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, he would have stayed.
Byram is back at Leeds United after rejoining the club in the summer, seven and a half years after his exit from Leeds in January 2016. It saw Byram leave the club to join West Ham, but injury occured.
Just 98 appearances came and went in the time Byram left, to the point in which he returned – over the course of spells with West Ham, Norwich and Forest. He has since been first choice at Elland Road.
Joining Leeds in the summer initially just to train with the team and reunite with Daniel Farke, he was then invited to join in pre-season games before eventually winning a one-year contract with Leeds.
He has made the left-back slot his own, starring on the left side of the defence. Byram was asked about his exit in an interview with The Athletic – and he says with hindsight, he would never have left Leeds.
“I’ve thought back since and with hindsight, if I’d known that the club would achieve promotion (in 2020) — to be able to play in the Premier League with Leeds — I’d like to say I’d have turned the move down.
“You just can’t guess what the future holds. You have to make a decision based on the facts. There are regrets; I missed out on getting Leeds promoted. I feel like this is a second chance to achieve that.”
Sam Byram says he regrets leaving Leeds United in January 2016
With Leeds struggling in the middle of the Championship, season after season and the club’s structure a joke, there was an air of inevitability that with all of our best players – they would eventually exit the club.
That was the case for Byram – who also says that Massimo Cellino offered him a new deal, but on “much worse” terms. Would Byram have started for Bielsa? Who knows. But, it is great to have him back.
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