Unseen Leeds United youngster becomes Daniel Farke’s new secret weapon with inspired international display

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Leeds United took their tally of goals from the 2024/25 Championship season to a staggering 76 as Daniel Farke’s side fought from 2-0 down to claim a draw at Queens Park Rangers last weekend.

Just to put that into context, the division’s next highest goalscorers – 13th place Norwich City, funnily enough – are the only team to have breached the 60-goal barrier.

Leeds United are outscoring second-place Sheffield Untied by 23. They have 24 more than Burnley.

Joel Piroe could become Leeds’ first Golden Boot winner since Chris Wood under Garry Monk nearly a decade ago. Piroe has 15 so far. And, with eight games still remaining, there is a very real chance that Leeds will have no fewer than four players in double figures come the end of May; Piroe, Dan James, Manor Solomon and, provided he can find some form again, Brenden Aaronson.

As you might have guessed, Leeds have the most goals from open play with 50. The most from counter-attacks with 10. The jet-heeled Dan James has struck up a fine understanding with Solomon, and doesn’t it show.

Though, if there is one area where Daniel Farke’s often ruthless outfit are lacking, it’s in the set-piece department.

Leeds United are a mid-ranking set-piece team but Diogo Monteiro brings penalty box threat

Leeds rank just 14th when it comes to set-piece goals. Their tally of nine is almost half-that of Derby County.

That is to be expected, of course. While teams lower down the table with less attacking talent are often forced to rely on dead ball situations, a Leeds side who can bring Willy Gnonto, Largie Ramazani and Mateo Joseph off the bench most weeks certainly don’t.

Pascal Struijk scored a dramatic brace as Leeds beat Sunderland late on at Elland Road back in February. Two of his five goals this season, though, have come from the penalty spot. Joe Rodon has netted only once, while Ethan Ampadu and Max Wober are yet to get off the mark.

So, as Diogo Monteiro marked his debut for Portugal’s Under-20 side with a close-range headed finish during a 1-1 draw with England on Friday, the young central defender showcased the nose for goal and the physicality which could yet come in handy for Leeds’ senior side.

As the ball was floated into the penalty area, Monteiro held off his marker – another familiar face with Leeds’ Plymouth loanee Darko Gyabi making his England U20 bow – and flicked home a tidy header at the near post.

It certainly wasn’t a particularly emphatic effort. Y

et, with five goals for Portugal now at various youth levels, the presence he provides inside the penalty area could one day bring another attacking dimension to a Leeds side who continue to thrive in just about every area of goalscoring bar one.

Diogo Monteiro is a ‘fantastic professional’ and he’s on the right track at Leeds

A £1 million signing from Swiss outfit Servette in 2023, Diogo Monteiro’s future at Leeds looked uncertain when he lost his starting spot with the Under-23 side a year ago.

He has reclaimed a place on the team sheet now, however, as Portugal’s new U20 captain begins to make progress again both for club and country.

Michal Pudjak, a youth coach at Thorp Arch, believes Leeds have themselves a ‘fantastic professional’ in a Swiss-born Iberian who has now captained his country at a number of different levels.

“[Monteiro is a] fantastic professional,” Pudjak said a couple of years back. “He’s still young, very young. People forget how young he is. [But] he’s comfortable in possession of the ball and, at the training ground, he’s a top, top professional.

“He wants to do extras. He wants to develop all aspects of his game, he wants to do video sessions, wants to do extra technical practices and I think he will be good. He’s got big potential. Very professional, defensively solid.”

And, now, a set-piece threat too.