Inside Elland Road: Defensive solidity is vital for Leeds Utd
Leeds United winger Dan James hasn't started a Premier League game since August.
Leeds United’s Welsh winger Daniel James is ready to ‘make a difference’ for club and country after coming through a frustrating period of injury issues.
James hasn’t started a Premier League game since August due to a couple of separate problems, having been forced off during a 1-0 defeat at Fulham before picking up an ankle injury in training. The 28-year-old missed Wales’ October fixtures amid speculation he could be out for months that was swiftly put to bed by Craig Bellamy and Leeds.
“It is frustrating but that's part of football and you've just got to do everything you can to get back on the pitch,” James said. “I'm just happy that I'm fit and healthy now and ready to go.
“I feel in a really good place at the moment. I'm just working as hard as I can, putting everything into training so that I'm ready to come away for Wales, but also ready to come on the pitch for Leeds, even if I'm not starting. Mentally, I am always ready to make a difference.”
James’ return to fitness is well-timed for both club and country, with Leeds desperately in need of attacking quality while Wales’ World Cup fate will be decided during this break. Bellamy’s side have two qualifiers remaining against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia, the latter of whom are three points clear in the Group J play-off spot with one game left.
Dan James and Wales set for two huge World Cup qualifiers
Put simply, second-place and a play-off spot will be guaranteed if Wales win both games while four points would also do it, should their victory come over main rivals North Macedonia. James and his compatriots could still finish top, albeit leaders Belgium would need to slip up against both Kazakhstan andLiechtenstein.
Read More
Having qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before missing the decisive penalty in a Euro 2024 play-off defeat to Poland, James has experienced the ups and downs of major tournament qualification. But the winger and his compatriots are purely focused on the first of two games ahead and doing their job.
“We went toe-to-toe with Belgium [during the October international break],” James added. “We've just got to look at those games and see what we can do better for the next two.
“There's no easy pathway to the World Cup but we don’t look past the next game against Liechtenstein. It's going to be a tough test and we have to go into that game just like every other game, believing that we can win.”
Continue Reading