'I knew it was going in' - Mateo Joseph reveals emotions of first Leeds United goals and dressing room embrace — YEP 28/2/24

-

Leeds United's newest goalscorer Mateo Joseph shared his disappointment at going out of the FA Cup to Chelsea on Wednesday night but personal delight after scoring his first goals in professional football.

By Joe Donnohue

The 20-year-old England youth international was named in Daniel Farke's starting XI at Stamford Bridge as Leeds faced up against Premier League opponents Chelsea in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.

United opened the scoring through Joseph who netted confidently after fellow youngster Archie Gray had won a tackle and turned over possession in Chelsea's penalty area. The Blues rallied, scoring twice before the break through Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk but Joseph struck again in the second half, this time with his head.

Arriving onto the end of a looping Jaidon Anthony cross at the back post, Joseph guided the ball home before celebrating in front of the scores of Whites fans in the Shed End away section. Conor Gallagher's 90th minute winner, at the end of a second half which Leeds largely saw the better of, ultimately put an end to the Whites' unbeaten streak in 2024 and their cup run but there were plenty of positives to take from a testing evening in West London, not least Joseph's brace.

"It could have been better with winning the game and [going] to the next round but a dream come true [to score]," Joseph said at full-time.

"To be honest, that ball, I knew it was going in," the youngster added, describing the moment he notched his second of the game in front of the travelling supporters. "So many times that ball comes in and [I] put in across the 'keeper, across the face [of goal] and then it's just celebrate with the fans. I think I could have scored another one but it's getting even better every day and trying to improve that."

Joseph revealed he shared an embrace after full-time with teammate Gray, with whom he had played at Stamford Bridge before, in a 1-0 defeat for Leeds' Under-21s two seasons ago.

"We were there in the shower, we hugged each other, we said 'remember when we were playing here with the 21s'.

"Hopefully it's a long journey with him and we can bring to the club big things and so many wins."

The youngster, whose grandmother lives a stone's throw from Stamford Bridge, also explained that while his parents and biggest supporters were not present, he did have family members and associates at the ground to see him score his first goals in professional football.

"My father is in Spain and my mother is in Leeds. So, when I go back I will have my dinner ready," Joseph finished, with a smile.

Leeds return to action on Saturday lunchtime away to Huddersfield Town in the Championship, before a home fixture against Stoke City followed by another Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough.

Popular posts from this blog

The huge initial fee Leeds are set to receive for Crysencio Summerville’s move to West Ham — Leeds United News 31/7/24

-
Will Butcher West Ham United are closing in on a deal to sign Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United, and Ben Jacobs has shared how much Leeds will receive for the Dutchman. The 22-year-old has been strongly linked with the Elland Road exit door all summer and was targeted as the one big sale Leeds needed to make before the Profit & Sustainability Rules deadline this month. But instead, Leeds sold Archie Gray for £40m to Tottenham. Leeds have since sold five more players in the form of Diego Llorente, Marc Roca, Kris Klaesson and Charlie Cresswell – raking in around £60m in total. But more exits were always likely and Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday afternoon that West Ham had agreed personal terms with Summerville, and talks for a fee were ongoing with the Yorkshire side. Now, the story has moved on with multiple sources claiming a deal is done between Leeds and Angus Kinnear’s old club. The Dutchman is expected to sign a five-year at the London Stadium, until Jun...
Read more

Leeds United board break silence after transfer window with statement on upcoming Elland Road development — YEP 2/9/24

-
By Joe Donnohue Leeds United have confirmed supporters' commemorative stones at Elland Road's Centenary Square will be replaced free of charge in a bid to improve their longevity. Beginning next month, Leeds supporters' personalised stones will be replaced with exact replicas, courtesy of a new company, to ensure of a 'much better quality' installation. The work is expected to take around two months to complete. An official club statement confirmed 'three larger stones dedicated to former managers Don Revie, Howard Wilkinson and Marcelo Bielsa' will also be installed, 'similar to those located in Bremner Square', while additional space for supporters to purchase new stones has also been factored into the project. “The club have taken on board recent feedback from supporters on the stones at Centenary Square, and we are really happy that we can now announce that all of the stones will be replaced," chief executive Angus Kinnear confirmed,...
Read more

Leeds United transfer state of play as Whites knock back low bid and assert wing pair stance — YEP 3/7/24

-
By Graham Smyth Leeds United are not actively looking to cash in on Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto and believe any further outgoing transfer business will be done on their terms. The Whites, who sold Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday for £40m, expect that there will be continued interest in wing pair Summerville and Gnonto as the summer transfer window progresses. Summerville has been a target for Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion but their interest has not yet materialised into a bid. The Albion did, however, send a £30m proposal for Georginio Rutter, which Elland Road chiefs rejected. Rutter is not expected to try and force an exit this summer and appears settled at Leeds after a far more positive second season in English football. The sale of Gray has helped put Leeds into a position where they do not need to sell star players and can dictate any moves that do happen. Club sources say they are not actively looking to sell the likes of Summerville o...
Read more