Leeds United forward Joel Piroe has explained why he opted for a move to Elland Road over rival interest from the Premier League, having explained his immediate and long-term aims and having also come clean on his ambitions of moving to LaLiga.
The 24-year-old Dutch forward, who joined the Whites from Swansea over the summer for an initial fee of approximately £12.9 million, settled in swiftly at Elland Road and scored on his debut. In fact, Piroe has made 33 appearances for Leeds United so far, tallying 12 goals and dishing out one assist. This is a respectable total considering that Daniel Farke’s team frequently uses him in a deeper, No. 10 role.
Even though Patrick Bamford has recently taken Piroe’s starting spot, the player has been instrumental in Leeds’ ascent to the top of the Championship, as Farke’s team is presently in third place, one point behind Southampton in second.
Leeds will play seven times in February as part of a hectic schedule, so Piroe will undoubtedly be needed as the season comes to a close. The Whites’ depth in the squad will be important.
Now that Piroe has given his goals for the remainder of the season, it is reasonable to assume that he wants to assist Leeds in getting promoted back to the Premier League.
In addition, Piroe stated his form gave him “confidence” to step up to a higher level after scoring 20 goals in 45 games for Swansea the previous season. However, he thought a move to Leeds was best for his career at this time, despite advances from Premier League teams as well.
Piroe reveals Leeds promotion aims and wish to one day play in LaLiga
Piroe informed the Dutch publication Voetbalzone about his choice to join Leeds over other teams, saying, “At Leeds, I can really conquer my place, so that I’ll be there when we manage to get promoted to the Premier League.”
“Last summer, I already had options in that competition, but sometimes you get picked as a 19th man [squad player] or you have to choose a club that has to fight against relegation.”
Piroe acknowledges that he is enjoying his time at Elland Road thus far. Leeds is now undefeated at home and will take on Rotherham on Saturday in an attempt to finish second in the league.
The forward also says he is optimistic of being promoted to the Premier League with the Whites. He has developed a close acquaintance with Georgino Rutter, who happens to be one of his neighbors in a beautiful district of Leeds.
“In the short term, I want to play in the Premier League with Leeds and I also want to show that I can score my goals at that level,” Piroe continued when discussing his short term objectives.
Leeds star admits aims to play in LaLiga
At just 24, Piroe has a lot of playing left in him if all goes according to plan. The former striker for PSV Eindhoven adds that eventually, he would love to play in Spain because he grew up watching Real Madrid and Barcelona battle it out in the El Clasico.
The 74-goal scorer is also open to the idea of playing in his native country once more in the future.
Piroe continued, “I grew up when Barca and Real Madrid were the biggest clubs in the world.”
“It was amazing to watch every El Clasico. While I must admit that the Premier League has grown so dominant in recent years that nobody can ignore it longer, it would still be fantastic to play in Spain someday.
It’s the biggest and best competition in the world right now. I want to have that experience initially.
