Josuha Guilavogui put the finishing touches to his free transfer move to Leeds United earlier this week.
Guilavogui has signed a short-term deal until the end of the season at Elland Road and could be in the squad as early as Saturday’s trip to Bristol City.
The 34-year-old has been in and around Thorp Arch for the last week or so and was in attendance for both of Leeds’ wins over Sheffield United and Watford.
Having been without a club since his release from Mainz in the summer, Guilavogui says Leeds was an opportunity too good to turn down, despite receiving other offers.
Guilavogui is well aware of the role Daniel Farke is expecting him to play on and off the pitch this season, and his opening interview certainly seems to have gone down well among Leeds fans.
Guilavogui pointed out Mateusz Klich on Elland Road tour
Guilavogui will bring plenty of experience to a very young Leeds squad and his arrival immediately makes him the oldest player at the club.
Despite his family and friend’s awe at him joining Leeds, Guilavogui has an impressive array of clubs on his CV from earlier in his career.
Atletico Madrid, Wolfsburg and Mainz are among them, and it is actually at Wolfsburg where Guilavogui once crossed paths with former Leeds icon Mateusz Klich.
Klich was at Wolfsburg during Guilavogui’s first spell at the Bundesliga side and was even on the bench in the same match Leeds’ new signing received a red card at Hoffenheim, just over 10 years ago.
Despite the many teammates Guilavogui will have crossed paths with in the time that has followed since then, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue says the Frenchman actually pointed out Klich on one of the walls at Elland Road during his first tour of the stadium.
He told the Inside Elland Road Podcast: “They were in the squad [at Wolfsburg] together at the same time. They might not have played a competitive game with each other, but I have it on good authority, that when being shown around Elland Road, Klich is on the walls, Guilavogui pointed him out and suggested they had played together. Played in the looser sense, that they were contracted to the same club at the same time.”
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Guilavogui says he will call Olivier Dacourt
Guilavogui appears to have done plenty of research about Leeds ahead of his move and even mentioned the name of club legend Olivier Dacourt a couple of times in his interview.
In fact, Guilavogui has revealed he will even be phoning Dacourt for a bit of advice on how he can be a success at Elland Road.
He said: “Leeds is very famous in France. Olivier Dacourt played here, Marcelo Bielsa was here. The French always follow Leeds. To be part of this amazing club is something I’m very thankful for.
“Both aggressive players,” Guilavogui continued, when asked if he plays like Dacourt. “He was really aggressive. We have mutual friends so I will speak with him and get advice to make this journey even better.”
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