Former Leeds United target Nadiem Amiri reacts to Josuha Guilavogui debut against Plymouth | OneFootball

Josuha Guilavogui's former Mainz teammate Nadiem Amiri reacts to his Leeds United debut vs Plymouth.

Josuha Guilavogui made his debut for Leeds United during a 3-0 win over Plymouth Argyle, and ex-Whites target Nadiem Amiri reacted to the defensive midfielder's delight.

Leeds comfortably saw off a struggling Plymouth Argyle side with a dominant 3-0 victory at Elland Road, solidifying their position in second place in the Championship ahead of Burnley's Championship clash with Millwall later today.

Leeds controlled the opening stages and put the game to bed with a flurry of three goals in seven minutes before half-time. Dan James opened the scoring with a powerful strike into the top corner from the edge of the area, followed shortly by Joel Piroe doubling the lead just two minutes later.

Brenden Aaronson then calmly slotted home the third after the ball came loose in the box to complete a commanding first-half performance. Daniel Farke's side cruised to victory after that in the second-half, with Leeds even able to bring on three debutants late on.

Such were their comfort levels at 3-0 that Charlie Crew and Sam Chambers joined Guilavogui in action. The latter signed on 23 October, but was an unused substitute for his first appearance in a matchday squad against Bristol City, with his full debut coming in ideal circumstances to join the fold.

His introduction came during the last 15 minutes of the game, but he enjoyed himself on debut. Per FotMob, Guilavogui completed 22 of 23 passes, won six of his eight duels, and all three of his tackles were successful. It was a strong cameo for only 15 minutes, with the 34-year-old's 29 touches showcasing his willingness to get involved in the action straight away.

Josuha Guilavogui and Nadiem Amiri react to Leeds debut

The Whites were in the market for a defensive midfielder after Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu suffered long-term injuries. A host of names were linked with a move to Elland Road, but it became apparent that Guilavogui was the man that Farke wanted. He eventually joined Leeds by penning a deal until the end of the season.

At the moment, there’s not a single Leeds fan that would suggest changing Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell, but they can’t be expected to play every minute. The veteran utility man should be good cover on the basis of his Plymouth display, and his wealth of experience saw him cross paths with Amiri at 1.FSV Mainz 05.

While at Wolfsburg, Guilavogui played alongside Kevin De Bruyne during his breakout season, while also being in the same squad as Mateusz Klich at the time. He was let go by the Bundesliga side in July 2023. He was picked up that summer by German side Mainz, for whom he went on to make only 12 appearances last season, including just six starts during that time.

He took to Instagram to explain his feelings at making his debut. Guilavogui said: "What a day to start with all of YOU! Marching on Together, it’s more than an anthem!

"I will quickly learn it by heart 👊🏻 Here we go with Leeds United…Merci, merci, merci 💛 💙 MOT"

Amiri was once a target for Leeds prior to joining Mainz from Leverkusen, with the midfielder even flying to the UK for talks before calling a deal off. He responded to Guilavogui's message with: "Boss ❤️"

Josuha Guilavogui's potential impact at Leeds

The former France international, who won seven caps for his country, will bring a wealth of experience to the West Yorkshire outfit, as he has turned out for Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid, and Bordeaux over the years.

With Ampadu out until close to January, and Gruev possibly not back with the first-team until closer to March, Leeds were in a tough predicament regarding their deeper midfield options. Guilavogui brings a calm head to the first-team, as Tanaka and Rothwell are the only senior figures available in midfield right now.

Leeds required a player who plays at both centre-back and defensive midfield comfortably, given Tanaka and Rothwell are not as defensive-minded as a player like Guilavogui as well. The main issue with some midfield options is whether they have defensive solidity to deputise in the long-term in every match situation in midfield in Ampadu and Gruev's place.

As for Amiri, who has been a successful signing for Mainz thus far, his reaction is likely to rile up more than a few Leeds fans after turning the club down to stay in Germany's top-flight last summer.