Leeds central defender Pascal Struijk doesn't mince his words about the team's ambition to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League, hoping to bypass the heartache of play-offs. "I mean you don't have to ask me that," Struijk expressed.
"Of course, we don't want to play in the play-offs. We all have one target and that's to go up to the Premier League."
As Leeds' most experienced player, he's no stranger to the despair of close calls in crucial games, having been a part of Leeds' squad during their semi-final loss in 2019 as well as being injured for last season's disappointment against Southampton.
"I was there for the Derby games and that was my first experience of really seeing what it meant to people and how much emotion goes into these types of games," remarked the 25-year-old Dutchman with reflection on the bitter experiences.
"If you don't play that much in the beginning, you don't have a realisation of what it means to people that sacrifice the whole season to try and achieve something that big and then come up short. We had that again last year so hopefully we can take all that frustration and put it into the energy to go to the Premier League this season.", reports the Mirror.
"Everybody was really disappointed. We, especially, feel like you have a chip on your shoulder, yes? Because of the disappointment from last year, we feel we have something extra to play for.
"I think it's most important we focus on what we do, don't get distracted by anything else," he said. "We know the ability we have and I'm fairly positive. I feel positive. If we focus on ourselves, if we do our job properly, I'm really positive."
Leeds United star Struijk has opened up about the drive within the squad, saying: "Everybody was really disappointed. We, especially, feel like you have a chip on your shoulder, yes? Because of the disappointment from last year, we feel we have something extra to play for."
As Leeds squares off against the likes of Burnley and Sheffield United in a fierce promotion race, Struijk highlights that history is on their side, referencing their straight promotions in 2010 and 2020 following playoff heartbreaks.
Ahead of tomorrow's clash with Swansea at Elland Road, Struijk emphasizes the importance of concentration, stating: "I think it's most important we focus on what we do, don't get distracted by anything else. We know the ability we have and I'm fairly positive. I feel positive. If we focus on ourselves, if we do our job properly, I'm really positive."
Acknowledging last season's obstacles in reaching the Championship top spots and their current form, Struijk remains optimistic about Leeds' prospects, adding: "Sometimes you have highs in football, sometimes you have lows, it's how you deal with them."
He reflects on the team's resilience, saying: "When we came back from the international break last year, we had a little bit of a tough spell. This can happen and it's about how we react after each game. This season so far, every time we've had a little bit of a stumble, we've reacted in the right way and hopefully we can take that all the way until the end."