Graham Smyth says Leeds United have a player with an incredible physical transformation in recent seasons, and it’s paying off at Elland Road.
Leeds United signed 10 players in the summer transfer window, with a number of them hitting the ground running since their arrivals at the West Yorkshire outfit.
The Whites have seen the likes of Gabriel Gudmundsson, Anton Stach, and Sean Longstaff quickly take to life at a new club. The likes of Stach, Noah Okafor, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have broken Leeds records.
The Swiss forward is Leeds’ top scorer with two goals so far, and Okafor has drawn comparisons with Kylian Mbappe for the speed and directness of his dribbling against the opposition.
Noah Okafor in action for Leeds.
Photo by Ben Roberts – Danehouse/Getty Images
Graham Smyth explains Noah Okafor situation
It’s evident that Okafor is one of Leeds’ quickest players, alongside the likes of Dan James and Gudmundsson. The difference is that he combines that with the skill-set capable of taking the opposition on.
In fact, Okafor’s dribbling has been breaking Premier League records. Not only that, but Okafor is among Europe’s best dribblers so far this season. Standing at 6’1″, his physical profile is impressive.
That’s because of the fact the 25-year-old is also agile and that explosivity in any direction can take him away from opponents swiftly. Graham Smyth spoke via The Inside Elland Road podcast to give extra insight.
He said: “I interviewed Noah Okafor’s speed coach — three-time Swiss national sprint champion. And the piece is, you know, about how it’s all about making him healthier.
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“He’s had a massive physical transformation over the last eight months. He’s put on a load of muscle. He’s got a lot leaner.
“The idea of it is to make him available a lot more, make him healthier, and then make him quicker.”
The timing is impeccable from Smyth, with confirmation of Okafor’s injury ahead of Burnley since emerging. He may also miss another important game against West Ham United next Friday, too.
Noah Okafor of Leeds United warms up
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Noah Okafor’s view of Leeds’ current run of fixtures
It’s been clear in the recent matches that Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Okafor have a partnership forming. His injury blow is significant when you also consider the current games are the time to collect the points.
After the Wolves game, Okafor said: “I am really happy for the three points. It was an intense game today. I was happy to score and help the team. It’s a dream come true to score in the best league in the world.
“I am really happy about the three points and the team performance. I think the first goal we were unlucky – the first chance they scored from. It was important to keep calm and keep our confidence.
“The atmosphere and feeling in the team is incredible, and also the quality in training is really high. We can improve a lot, but of course, we must take it game by game. We want to go far. We have to set our goals high and see where we are at the end of the season.”
No game is a free hit, but Leeds will have games which they are targeting for points and others where points are seen as a bonus but not a necessity. Burnley and West Ham present a real opportunity for a platform to be built.
He is one of the outstanding attacking players of the side, and a huge differential to turn draws into wins with his match-winning ability.