Ex-Leeds United star opens up on rediscovering his mojo following top-flight move

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Leeds United’s busy summer 2024 transfer window saw no less than 19 players leave the club, in either permanent deals, loan moves or free transfers.

This drastic turnover was partly down to the failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League which meant funds had to be raised through the sales of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georgino Rutter, but the club also trimmed the wage bill by moving on a host of fringe players.

Thorp Arch graduate Charlie Cresswell saw his 11-year stay at the club end in July when he joined French side Toulouse on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee in the region of £4million.

The centre-back left Leeds having made 14 senior appearances for the club, while he spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Millwall, playing 30 times, but had found game time hard to come by at Elland Road.

Charlie Cresswell has his mojo back

Cresswell has quickly established himself with the Ligue 1 side, making eight appearances for Toulouse and played all 90 minutes in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Montpellier.

Speaking to French outlet Les Violets, Cresswell has discussed how this regular playing time has given him his mojo back.

“Since my birth, thanks to my father’s job, I’ve evolved in the world of football. I always loved it! I have always been in this environment,” he said, referencing his father Richard, a former Leeds striker.

“My father didn’t just give me a love of football, he gave me values and a strong feeling of family which are important to me today.
“I like to play somewhere that has value for the fans and at TFC I feel like I’ve got back what I had at Leeds or Millwall. The difference is that at Toulouse, I don’t yet understand the supporters’ chants.”

READ MORE: How French media reacted to Charlie Cresswell’s debut for Toulouse after Leeds United exit

One that got away, or a move that suits all parties?

Like most sets of supporters, Leeds fans will always hold a soft spot for players that come through their academy, with Cresswell no different.

As well as having a family link to the club, the 22-year-old’s no-nonsense style of defending and excellent performances for the club’s youth teams meant he was marked as one to watch.

He first emerged under Marcelo Bielsa, but was never able to nail down a regular first-team place, even when Leeds dropped back into the Championship in 2023.

Cresswell is clearly an ambitious player and with Leeds having one of the best centre-back rotations in the league last season, he clearly felt it was the time to move on, in a move that will see him play plenty of football and allow Leeds to trim down their squad and reduce their wage bill.