Daniel Farke has known how to move Leeds United players around in the starting lineup this season. The team that started the season is much different from the one currently on the team’s best stretch of results.
Farke made many tweaks to the lineup as the season went on; from dropping Ao Tanaka from midfielder to trying Brenden Aaronson as a winger. Then Leeds United switched to the 3-5-2 getting towards the end of the year, which meant some players had to learn new positions. But it was for the better as the club have been much improved since the end of last year.
During that run, some players performed so well in the first team, grabbing opportunities to solidify their place in the lineup.
Leeds United star opens up on his playing time this season
Ilia Gruev ended last season in the Championship on the bench, after Ao Tanaka’s impressive run of form. When this season started, Gruev still had no way into the first team, but got a huge opportunity when Sean Longstaff was ruled out for over a month. The Bulgarian had a series of impressive performances, including providing two assists against Nottingham Forest.
In an interview with Leeds Live, the midfielder spoke on how he knew that new signings in the summer would come with intense competition:
“I knew that when we got promoted to the Premier League that other players will come in.”
“We need a big squad and a really good squad with good players,”
“There will be periods where you have to be a little bit patient, but never to self-doubt.”
“Sometimes these are decisions from coaches which are taken. It’s nothing against a player personally, sometimes the coach has this feeling that another player suits the technical or things better.”
“I knew that my chance would come at some point and then I have to be there to perform.”
Ilia Gruev has made his minutes count this season
Gruev has been a huge example of how you can work your way into Daniel Farke’s good books as a Leeds United player. Last season, he was moved to the bench when Ao Tanaka was the star performer. Even this year, he had to wait for his chance on the bench when the team shifted to a midfield three.
| Season | Games Played | Starts | Minutes | Goals + Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 19 | 14 | 1,178 | 3 |
| 2024/25 | 24 | 20 | 1,727 | 2 |
Updated: February 20, 2026 | Leeds United (Premier League/Championship)
The Bulgarian has never been the first choice option in the team, and his predicament was not getting easier with the arrival of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach. But Gruev made his minutes count since getting into the lineup. He has now successfully cemented himself as a regular during this run of games. The midfielder has the perfect blend of ability on the ball and off the ball which makes him very useful in the middle of the park. Some other players in this Leeds United team could take a page from him.
