Leeds United defender issues firm future statement and Daniel Farke ‘DNA’ assessment - YEP 26/7/23
Daniel Farke has been 'direct' with the Leeds United squad since his arrival but a patient, possession-based style of football has met with Pascal Struijk's approval.
By Graham Smyth
The quiet man of the Whites dressing room, Struijk went away
with his family seeking mental silence this summer. Last season brought another
29 Premier League appearances to go with the 56 he already had to his name but
it was not the campaign he hoped for, or even a step forward in terms of his
personal progression.
Left-back was where the Ajax-trained centre-half made 22 of
those appearances, out of necessity thanks to the injury and form issues
suffered by Junior Firpo. Despite some solid outings initially as a full-back,
Struijk too encountered a rocky patch and appeared shy of confidence as he and
Leeds fell out of the Premier League.
"I mean, at the end it was getting a little bit hard
you know," he said.
"It was nice to get away with family and then at the
end [of the break] a little bit of working again. But basically it was good for
me to get away after a difficult season and just relax my mind to go completely
silent and focus for what's coming.
"Over the summer, I try not to think about football
because that's not the time when I want to be thinking about football, when I'm
enjoying with my family. So for me, it took a little while [to get over
relegation]. But I mean we have to get back to it at one point because we can't
feel sorry for ourselves for what happened and then try and make a change for
the future."
Since he broke into the Leeds side initially under Marcelo
Bielsa, Struijk has worked with six permanent or interim managers and the way last
season went individually and collectively might have sown a seed of doubt over
his Elland Road future.
The defender insists that was never the case.
"I mean, my contract isn't till 2027 so I'm always
ready to come back and then give my all for this club," he said.
"So yes [I was always going to stay]."
What he has returned to at Thorp Arch in pre-season is a new
era. Leeds are under new ownership since 49ers Enterprises bought the club from
Andrea Radrizzani. The side is under new management in the form of Farke and
his staff. What it looks like, in football terms, is to Struijk's liking so
far.
At York on Saturday he played right sided centre-back and
Leeds played the passing football that their German boss is known for.
"Since he's come in he's been very direct, very open
and showing signs of football that I like personally and I think it's been good
so far," said Struijk.
"We've played three games now and I think the football
we're playing is good. We just need to improve some little things, but that's
what pre-season is for.
"You grow up to play football. I always want to have
the ball and play with it. It's not necessarily for me and in my DNA to just
play it long and see, then just defend. I think as a kid you grow up to play
with the ball and not just defend. I'm happy with the way we're doing it right
now."
Promotion is what Struijk seeks this season, not only for the
club but for himself. And beyond that, a return to the upward curve his career
was taking most noticeably under Bielsa.
"I think I had a decent start at the beginning last
season and then at the end went a little bit downhill but I feel like if I can
continue on a growing trajectory, to improve basically, in everything - I feel
like I've said it every season but I feel like it's the truth," he said.
"I need to practice on multiple things. I want to be
better, because the better I get I mean, the better player you are.
"Overall I feel like my time at Leeds has been good, in
an upwards trajectory. At the end of last season it was a little bit hard to
maintain, I feel like I went in a bit of a dip but what career just goes
upwards? It's just a part of my journey so far and all I can do is get better
from it."