While new signings and established stars have struggled to find their form in pre-season, one player has quietly made an undeniable case to be in Daniel Farke’s starting XI.
Leeds United’s pre-season has delivered a mixture of findings, with Daniel Farke taking five prospects along for the ride.
Most notably they have faced Manchester United, Villarreal and this Saturday they face AC Milan in Dublin, their last game before the season starts.
New signings such as Sean Longstaff haven’t quite hit the ground running, with fans calling his performance against Villarreal, ‘very uninspiring.’ Whilst Leeds’ player of the season last term Dan James has looked ‘rusty’ , a true cause for concern for Daniel Farke.
Despite these shaky performances, there is one player who has impressed this pre-season and made his case for a starting position in the Premier League.
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Ilia Gruev should be handed starting spot v Everton
The Whites boast a decent midfield artillery but there’s one player who has stood out during these pre-season fixtures, Ilia Gruev.
During their pre-season fixture versus Manchester United, he played 86 minutes. He had 52/54 (96%) pass accuracy, 63 touches, 1 accurate long ball, 100% ground duels won and got a 7.5 FotMob rating, sitting on the left-hand side in a defensive midfield position.
A very strong performance, which again followed in his minutes against Villarreal. Graham Smyth shared his player ratings with the YEP.
He gave Gruev a 7/10 rating, a strong rating for him given he started on the bench. Gruev covered new defensive signing Jaka Bijol after he made a mistake, and showed some strong football like during the Man United friendly. He also sent in a cheeky free-kick into the area late on, clearly staking his claim for a starting position against the Toffees.
How Ilia Gruev performed last season in the Championship
Daniel Farke should choose Ilia Gruev to start due to his superior passing accuracy and reliable defensive contributions from the 2024-2025 season.
While new midfield signing Anton Stach brings a more all-round profile with better offensive and defensive numbers from the Bundesliga, Gruev’s exceptional 90.7% pass completion rate is a key asset for Farke’s system, which prioritises controlling possession and building play from the back.
In comparison, Ethan Ampadu, another potential starter, had more minutes in the 2024-2025 Championship season but offered less in terms of attacking output, with zero goals or assists in the league.
| Contributions | Statistic |
| Shots on target | 7 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Successful passes | 1,199 |
| Chances created | 32 |
| Successful crosses | 17 |
| Aerial duels won % | 54.5% |
Gruev’s two assists, along with his solid defensive stats of 23 tackles and 19 interceptions, demonstrate his balanced role in the midfield.
Ultimately, Gruev’s ability to act as a deep-lying playmaker who can consistently distribute the ball and protect the backline makes him a more specialised and reliable option for Farke, especially in matches where maintaining possession and tempo is critical to the team’s success.
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