Leeds United lost the Championship playoff final against Southampton a few months ago.
A painful end to a promising campaign; the Whites finished with 90 points and scored 81 goals. Many players performed to high levels in Daniel Farke’s first season in charge. The German was not a highly rated appointment, but he proved his doubters wrong.
However, due to Leeds’ failure to secure Premier League football, some members of the squad were poached by top level clubs. Leeds United had three of the best players in the Championship last season, and during the summer, they all left the club.
Crysencio Summerville scored 19 goals as he won EFL Championship player of the Year, Archie Gray’s breakout season was rewarded with a place in the EFL Championship team of the Year, and Georginio Rutter provided 15 assists during the league campaign.
Gray joined Tottenham, Summerville moved to West Ham, and Rutter was scooped up by Brighton.
QUIZ: Can you name these 10 Leeds United players from the 2000s?
Former Leeds United man makes transfer admission
Credit: Imago Images
Glen Kamara was brought in last summer, as Daniel Farke needed quality in the middle of the park. The Finland international started slow, but earned his way into the starting lineup and was a regular till the end of the campaign. The 29-year old joined Rennes for a reported €10million, with Leeds making a profit off a player they signed a year ago.
Now, Glen Kamara has revealed the reason why he left the club in the summer:
“It was bittersweet leaving Leeds. We were very close to going up. We probably should have gone up automatically. It was a tough one to take, losing in the play-off final. I was only there for a year, so moving so soon was a bit of a weird one, but things just happen quickly in football and you have to be ready.”
“I had watched a lot of the Championship games before joining Leeds, and had friends playing in the league. And a lot of people said when I signed you basically need to average two points-per-game to go up. And we almost got that and fell short. It was difficult to accept. Some players have moved on, including me, but I think Leeds will have a good chance of going back up to the Premier League. They have great players. I think they’ll be good [for promotion] this season.”
Glen Kamara had a valid reason
It is tough to return when your team just falls short. It was also incredibly painful that Leeds fell off in the final weeks and couldn’t secure automatic qualification.
At the end of it all, Leeds made a significant profit and Kamara is now playing in European competition. The club are still looking for a midfielder this January, and have targeted this Premier League star.
