Joel Piroe was Leeds United and the Championship’s top scorer last season, and his goals powered the team to the second-tier title and promotion to the Premier League. However, he is now reduced to being the third-choice striker in the squad in the 2025/26 campaign.
Leeds signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on free transfers in the summer window to bolster their options, and both are ahead of Piroe in the pecking order of strikers at Elland Road.
Calvert-Lewin has cemented his place as Leeds’ first-choice striker, while Nmecha has been relegated to understudy. It’s a significant blow for the Dutchman, who was a regular starter last season and played a key role in scoring the goals that secured Leeds’ return to the Premier League.
Piroe started the first two Premier League games, but has not featured, even from the bench, in the next four. He is firmly on the fringes of the squad at this stage of the campaign.
Joel Piroe is the best finisher I have worked with, but he has to wait – Daniel Farke
Daniel Farke conceded that he feels sorry for Piroe’s situation and insisted that he is the best finisher he has ever coached in his career.
However, he admitted that Leeds cannot be as dominant as last season to get the best out of him, and he wants something different from his striker in the Premier League.
He believes the Dutchman will end up contributing in some form this season, and at some point, the team will need his skillset. But stressed that he will have to wait for his chance.
“It’s always difficult when you had such a good season last season and everyone is singing your name. To then not play as much, of course, it is tough”, Farke said in a press conference.
“He is the best finisher I have ever worked with. I would always go for Joel Piroe, finishing world-class, but we can’t always play at this level, being that dominant. A few other skills are needed at times in different games. It’s difficult because I don’t want him to be a completely different player; he can also play as a number 10.
“I am 100 per cent sure that during the season, the skills and strengths of Joel Piroe are also needed.
“The best thing is to be honest, they are professionals earning lots of money, you have to accept that there is competition, I have to say my evaluation and the importance of Joel has not dropped, he is pretty, pretty important. I am sure we will see him in many situations on the pitch and hopefully he can do well.”
Piroe is not the physically dominant striker that Leeds need in the Premier League
One of the features of Calvert-Lewin’s game this season is how he has bullied some of the centre-backs with his physicality in the Premier League.
The Leeds striker has missed a few chances, but his presence in the frontline allows Leeds to play the physical game that they want to compete in the top flight.
Piroe was great in the Championship, but in the Premier League, he just does not possess the physical powers to get on top of the centre-backs.
Farke may throw him in search of goals at some point, but unless there are injuries, the Dutchman is unlikely to start a Premier League game anytime soon.
Can you name these 10 former Leeds United goalkeepers?
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