A former Wales star’s claim about a Leeds United player.
Former Wales star Robert Earnshaw has served up praise for Leeds United winger Dan James with a claim about how many goals he can score a season at the far post.
James has yet to start a Premier League game so far this season but the Whites winger was handed a second consecutive start for Wales in Thursday night’s Nations League hosting of Norway in which he scored the equalising goal as part of a stellar display in a 2-1 victory.
Wales had fallen behind in the opening exchanges to an Oscar Bobb strike but the pacy James burst into the area to net from a Sorba Thomas cross in the 38th minute and the winger was then brought down by Torbjorn Heggem when through on goal 30 seconds into the second half which led to a Heggem red card before Neco Williams netted from the free-kick.
Speaking post match on BBC Match Of The Day, Earnshaw said he wanted to specifically pick out James for praise and said the winger is capable of netting ten goals a season in similar fashion as he analysed the Dragons equaliser.
Earnshaw also said he had already been impressed with James earlier this season when watching the winger’s display in one of two starts so far this season in the Carabao Cup win at Nottingham Forest,
"I do want to pick him out because I thought he was excellent and it was interesting,” said Earnshaw.
“He was just as good then”
"A few weeks ago I did his game against Nottingham Forest for Leeds in the cup and he was just as good as then.
"His running, when he goes behind, when he has the one v one dribble on and then now, this is what I want to see from him more because I want him to get in at the far post because there's ten goals a season in that far post.
"He's got one of them, there's nine to go but there's ten goals a season in that far post.
"If you get yourself in there every so often you will get goals and I thought he was excellent.
"I thought Sorba Thomas on the other side was excellent and inevitably the two do create the goal for Dan James.
"I thought they were really, really good and then Lewis Koumas as well, just his energy and stealing the ball back, Cullen as well in midfield stealing the ball back, brilliant."