DAN JAMES: IT'S GREAT HAVING A MANAGER THAT BELIEVES IN YOU — Leedsunited.com 5/2/24

Leeds United winger chats to the official Leeds United Podcast

The latest episode of the Leeds United Podcast is out, with Dan James joining Michael Bridges and Matthew Lewis to discuss everything from his Swansea City days, to his electrifying form this season.

So far, the Welshman has 10 goals and seven assists for the Whites this campaign, as he reveals what has changed for him this season and takes us through life under Daniel Farke at Leeds United.

Dan, what would you say has changed for you this season?

“Just the consistency of games, it’s obviously great having a manager that believes in you and gives you great confidence too.

"I think the biggest change for me, has been being a little bit more selfish, not greedy but a little bit more selfish in attacking positions, taking the shot on.

"I’ve said it before, there’s been games that I’ve gone into, where I’ve not realised until I’ve analysed it and saw that I’d maybe only had one shot. There’s games where I’ve played 90 minutes and I’ve had just one shot and I just think ‘how am I going to score, if I’ve only had one shot?’

"The top scorers in the league are usually the ones who take five shots a game and that’s obviously been a big thing. Obviously, there’s times where you don’t want to be too greedy and maybe you should’ve made the pass instead of having a shot, but also making the runs so you’re in the right position to finish.

"Whether the ball comes to you perfectly, whether it takes a deflection but just being there and always making those runs, is always going to get you opportunities and goals. If it’s not then it’s taking a defender away for space for another player to put it in the net."

How did your love for football come about? Were you always going to be a footballer?

“I think so yeah, I was always going to soccer camps when I was six/seven with my brother as well. From a very young age, I loved it and it was something I wanted to do.

“When I was around 13 or 14, I started thinking that I wanted to do it full-time and I wanted a scholarship to become a professional footballer. I got picked up by Hull when I was in the under 8s for my local team South Cave.

What age did you have to make the decision of leaving your local team to playing for Hull City?

“I think that was when I was playing for the under 11s and it was quite tough, because I was leaving my mates who I’d grown up with and missing the summer tournaments we’d do too.

“When you sign that first contract and put pen to paper, it basically meant that I couldn’t play for both so I was exclusively with Hull now and not South Cave.”

Let’s talk about your time at Fulham last season because that move came about quite quickly didn’t it? Was that difficult for you?

“It was incredibly difficult because we had a good start to the season and I was involved in every game. We beat Chelsea 3-0 in the second game and the move didn’t really come about until deadline day.

“Some things just happen so quick, to be set and then have that feeling of having to leave and obviously having a young family, it’s not easy to just move, get a house, settle and my little one was just about to start nursery the next day.

“It wasn’t something that I particularly wanted to do, because I always wanted to stay here, but when you feel that you don’t really fit into someone’s plans or feel they don’t have that belief in you, the World Cup coming up was a big factor too, which is why I thought and felt I had to go through with it.

“I wanted to be as fit as possible for it and football’s a business at the end of the day, things happen really quick and you’ve just got to get up and get on with it. 

“I went down there [Fulham] and I had good conversations with them, they’re a great team and I felt that I was in their plans.”