Leeds United surfer Adam Forshaw on freak injury, worst game ever and box transfers must still tick - YEP 19/7/22

Adam Forshaw has been catching the waves with his Leeds United teammates while on tour of Australia

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United's Adam Forshaw is a proud Scouser, a central midfielder and a surfer.

He laughs at that last suggestion, but the 30-year-old was one of those who braved the ocean on a board as Jesse Marsch and his squad enjoyed the Gold Coast's famed environment.

Marsch himself can surf, so too can Brenden Aaronson and Patrick Bamford had a go as well.

Forshaw was in his element.

"I don't know about that [being a surfer], I got up once or twice this morning but it didn't last long," he said.

"I loved it, to be honest, it woke me up because I haven't been sleeping that well since I've been here. It was good fun, it knocks you about a bit and we enjoyed it."

Marsch took the squad to the beach for a stroll and a dip in the sea almost every morning since Leeds' arrival on the Gold Coast, before the transfer to Brisbane.

Those moments away from training have allowed the players to bond over experiences many of them have never had before, in magnificent surroundings.

"It's brilliant, especially for some of the young lads like Harry the third goalkeeper and Archie," said Forshaw.

"We're lucky, I said to the physios, we're so fortunate to be able to come over to these places and meet our fans and enjoy a pre-season doing it this way. We're in a fortunate position and I'm grateful for that."

Forshaw is even more grateful to be fit and healthy.

The 2021/22 season ended his agonising wait for a return to football after a hellish experience with a complex hip problem that required multiple surgeries.

Spending almost two years away from first team football was never going to afford him the smoothest transition into Premier League football but he managed 22 top flight appearances, 17 of which were starts, before disaster struck again.

"It was just a freak accident," he said.

"I went in to win the ball against Kochy [Robin Koch] and ran into the wrong man unfortunately, the big German hurt me and I got a fractured kneecap. Of all the injuries I've had it was probably the worst for pain, at the time, it was sore."

Forshaw looks on the bright side, which is perhaps easier to do three months on, in the glorious Australian winter sun after a Suncorp Stadium training session in which he played a full part.

"I was lucky, it was clean fracture with no surgery required so I rehabbed it over the summer, came back and I'm starting to feel pretty good again," he said.

"It's part and parcel. The way the manager wants us to play, as a midfielder, he really wants us to counterpress and be in there to win the ball. It's part of my game so sometimes I am susceptible to picking up injuries.

"I'm happy to be fit [now], I'm doing exactly what the manager wants me to do. I'm a team player, I try to contribute as much as I can and help the team. Of course I want to play, I want to have an injury-free season and hopefully we can all have a successful one."

It can't be any worse than last season, for so many reasons.

All's well that ends well and Leeds are still a Premier League club but Forshaw does not have fond memories of the final days before survival was secured.

"It was terrible, especially the Brighton game at home, but the Brentford game was the worst game I've ever sat and watched in my life," he said.

"I was sat next to Bill [Luke Ayling] just behind the dugouts and I've never been so nervous in all my life. The lads showed real calmness though, they were more calm than I was and they did the job.

"It was relief. We enjoyed the night on the Sunday, we'd stayed in the Premier League so it was massive for us. I went away on holiday and on reflection there was frustration that we left ourselves in that position. Obviously we don't want to do that again this season. A little bit of frustration looking back on it but a lot to learn from. Since Jesse came in I think the form table had us 12th, which wasn't bad. We'll be looking to build on that."Forshaw is not alone in setting his sights higher than the kind of scrap Leeds became embroiled in last season.

At a Q and A session in a Brisbane pub this week Marsch and a quartet of players were asked for their thoughts on targets for the upcoming campaign.

The head coach insisted his players speak first, so he could hear what they had to say before broaching the topic himself. All were in agreement that limiting the target would be foolish and there was no reason not to be optimistic.

Marsch's response was all about positivity, building and moving forward as a group and doing so by investing in individuals.

"He's been a breath of fresh air," said Forshaw.

"Personally for me I've loved it and I can't speak highly enough of him. His positivity is infectious, he really makes you feel optimistic and believe in everything we want to achieve this season. I'm loving it and I know the lads are buying into the new way of playing."

If it is to be a better season then the club's summer recruitment will likely be key. Leeds needed greater strength in depth and having sold two players for big money, have invested around £91m on six new faces, with a striker and potentially a left-back still to come.

Forshaw welcomes the additions, even if two of them - Tyler Adams and Marc Roca - will provide direct competition for his spot. He's not the first to rave about their adaptation to life in the Leeds squad but he is the first to point out they still have work to do to become fully fledged Whites.

Once they have done that, he hopes for a good season together.

"First and foremost for the club to do their business so early and not late in the window is great," he said.

"The lads who have come in, the majority of them know exactly how Jesse wants to play, they're very clued in with the counterpress, the style and the formation so they've hit the ground running and they're good lads as well, above all. It's ideal.

"The normal things, the initiations - they haven't sang yet but they're going to have to at some point - things like that get you more comfortable in your surroundings, with your team-mates. They're really good lads and I think Jesse is really keen to have a really good group of people first and foremost.

"We're going to have a bigger squad this season, already we can see that, and I think the manager will rotate a little bit more but it's up to everyone to try and make themselves a mainstay in the team. It's competition, it's healthy and it will bring the best out of you.

"Ultimately we all want the same goal. Hopefully we can have some success."