In the summer, Mateo Joseph vowed to Leeds United supporters that this would be his year.
Despite scoring twice away at Chelsea in March, Joseph did not receive a single league start, and he will surely have wanted more at the end of the 2023–24 season.
Daniel Farke refrained from pressing Joseph into a fierce struggle for promotion, even as Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford were having a rough time. Fortunately for Leeds, the Spaniard chose to use it as inspiration instead.
Joseph started the preseason strong, scoring four goals in as many friendly after sharing a number of photos from his individual training sessions on Instagram throughout the off-season.
Farke moved him up to Leeds’ starting nine as a result of his recent form, something Joseph had stated he would do in an interview over the summer.
Joseph clarifies pre-season talk about Leeds
Leeds’ choice to hold off on signing a permanent striker during the transfer window was a clear indication of their confidence in Joseph.
With Bamford’s ongoing fitness issues and Piroe’s inability to produce while leading the line, no supporter could have argued against bringing one in.
Given how the previous season ended for him, Joseph could have easily thrown his toys out the pram. However, in an interview with journalist Jonathan Ramos, he provided some insight into the pre-season talks he had with the team.
Given what Archie Gray and Wilfried Gnonto accomplished with Leeds’ first team during their adolescent years, Joseph, at twenty, must understand the significance of playing senior football on a regular basis.
Furthermore, Joseph claims Leeds spoke with him quite fast during preseason about his expectations for the next season, during which he pledged to make it his own.
Very good, very good, he exclaimed. They asked me how I envisioned this year in the preseason, and I am positive that this will be my year. I believe I’ve put a lot of effort into it, and when one is forced to pursue their goals, they succeed.
A star from Bournemouth calls Joseph the “MVP of Leeds”
It seems that those around Joseph are taking notice of his performances at Elland Road, which can only give him greater confidence.
One of the players Joseph is now away on international duty for Spain U21s is Dean Huijsen, a star player for Bournemouth, and he made the decision to gatecrash his interview.
While Huijsen was sarcastically believed to have blurted out “Leeds MVP” during this process, Joseph was reportedly trying to respond to a question.
To be fair to Joseph, he would have a good chance of winning player of the season if the vote were held tomorrow.
