"I didn’t expect it" - Junior Firpo reveals surprise at Leeds United

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Football League World

·24 November 2023

"I didn’t expect it" - Junior Firpo reveals surprise at Leeds United

Highlights

Junior Firpo has admitted that he underestimated the difficulty of the Premier League, which explains his struggles at Leeds United.
The Spanish full-back was used to playing in a league with fewer wingers and less emphasis on dribbling, unlike in the English top flight.
Firpo's lack of game time and significant injury issues have hindered his performances, leading to criticism from pundits and supporters. A move back to Spanish football may be the best for his career.

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Junior Firpo has admitted that he didn’t expect to find the Premier League so difficult.

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The Leeds United defender has come under a lot of scrutiny for his performances for the Yorkshire outfit since signing from Barcelona in the summer of 2021.

The full back featured 43 times in the top flight across two seasons before Leeds suffered relegation to the Championship.

Firpo has been criticised by pundits and supporters for his performances for the Whites, and has struggled for game time since the arrival of Daniel Farke as manager last summer due to significant injury issues.

The 27-year-old has made just one league appearance in the second tier, coming off the bench in the closing stages of a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle prior to the November international break.

What has Junior Firpo said about the Premier League?

Speaking on the Official Leeds United Podcast, Firpo explained the differences that sets the Premier League apart from the rest of the best leagues in Europe.

The left back claimed that he wasn’t expecting to find it so difficult in the English top flight, which may explain why he has struggled to perform well for the Whites.

“The Premier League now is some league! There are some teams there!” said Firpo.

“It’s tough, it’s really high above any other league in the world.

“I didn’t expect it to be like that.

“I was playing in Spain and usually in Spain, there are no wingers.

“There are quality midfielders who play in the wings and they go inside and the full-backs take their space.

“The full-backs are usually not dribblers and not that explosive but when you come here, you play any team in the Premier League or the Championship, and they have two wingers who are really good dribblers and you just need to deal with it.”

Where are Leeds United in the Championship table?

Leeds are aiming to fight for promotion straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt this season.

The Yorkshire outfit is currently third in the Championship table, eight points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

Three victories in a row going into the November international break has helped close the gap to the top two.

Leeds were previously 14 points behind leaders Leicester City, but a 1-0 win away to the Foxes earlier this month has played a big role in bridging the gap.

Farke’s side can go within five points of top spot with a win on Friday night when they face Rotherham United.

Can Junior Firpo turn things around at Leeds United?

Injury hasn’t helped Firpo this season, but it is becoming increasingly clear that a move away from English football might be the best for everyone.

He was linked with a possible move back to Spanish football earlier this week, and these comments suggest it might be the smartest next step in his career.

Leeds have moved on to new players, with Sam Byram impressing since making his return to the club.

If they can get a fee for the player to recoup some of the cost of purchasing him, then he could even depart as early as January.