Noah Okafor raises his shirt after scoring for Leeds United
Noah Okafor raises his shirt after scoring for Leeds United
Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Commentator Adam Pope has hailed Leeds United winger Noah Okafor as a ‘really intelligent’ and ‘quite deep-thinking guy’, while admitting that the Swiss is ‘fully embedded’ with the Whites.
Okafor arrived at Leeds from Italian giants AC Milan, where he had failed to make much impact, in the summer of 2025, signing a four-year deal with the Yorkshire club.
The winger played an important role in helping Leeds preserve their top-flight status last season, delivering consistent performances as they secured survival with games to spare.
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This season, Okafor has made six Premier League appearances so far, while scoring one goal.
The 26-year-old made headlines last month after announcing on social media that he would no longer play under Switzerland manager Murat Yakin, with Daniel Farke later confirming that the winger informed him of the situation.
The Switzerland boss subsequently criticised Okafor after the winger made himself unavailable for international selection, while the national team director also took a swipe at the Leeds star.
However, Okafor has continued to perform for the Yorkshire club regularly, not letting his national team drama hamper his performances in a white shirt.
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Season Position
2025-56 14th
2024–25 1st (Championship, promoted)
2023–24 3rd (Championship, playoff runners-up)
2022–23 19th
2021–22 17th
Pope suggested that there may be a perception of Okafor because of the controversy that has previously surrounded the forward, but stressed that he has strong opinions and his own reasons for making certain decisions.
He insisted that the 26-year-old is ‘fully embedded’ at Leeds, highlighting his strong connections with his team-mates and particularly his relationship with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The commentator further praised Okafor by calling him a ‘really intelligent’ and ‘quite deep-thinking guy’.
Speaking on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet (35:21), he said: “And I think there’s probably a bit of perception about Okafor, because you hear the stuff about Switzerland and falling out with the head coach and stuff that was sort of floating around in the Swiss press about what might have happened at the World Cup, at a restaurant, and all that sort of stuff.
“You speak to him, I think he’s got strong opinions about why he doesn’t want to do certain things.
“But he’s fully embedded in Leeds, no doubt about it. And I think his connection with his team-mates seems to be really strong, obviously, with DCL.
“And I just think there’s so much more to him.
“He’s a really intelligent, quite deep-thinking guy, and I think his answers are really, really good. They’re not the norms that you sometimes get from some players.
“And I think there’s quite a few Leeds players in that category who are really good.”
Pope has already praised the winger for his energetic performances this season, admitting that he has ‘more legs than he had last year’.
Farke will again rely on the 26-year-old to help Leeds get back to winning ways when they face Manchester United this weekend.
Okafor, who has failed to register a goal contribution in his last two league games, will be looking to improve his goals and assists tally.