“Absolutely immense”- National media in awe ‘yet again’ as £10m Leeds United star ‘immense’ in 7/10 international display
The international break has come to a close, with 16 Leeds United players representing their national teams over the past two weeks. Many of them had standout performances.
Six players found the back of the net, including Sam Chambers, Dan James, Diogo Monteiro, Rasmus Kristensen, and Mateo Joseph. Junior Firpo also scored overnight for the Dominican Republic.
Manor Solomon provided an assist for Israel in their 2-1 victory over Estonia, while Ao Tanaka helped Japan secure the first spot in the 2026 World Cup with a win over Bahrain. Under Craig Bellamy, Wales remained unbeaten.
The weekend saw Leeds’ three Welsh players—James, Karl Darlow, and Joe Rodon—help secure a win against Kazakhstan before traveling to Skopje to face North Macedonia.
In what was a tense match, substitute Joe Allen’s mistake led to a late North Macedonia goal in the 91st minute.
However, David Brooks’ 96th-minute equalizer salvaged a point for Wales, keeping Bellamy’s unbeaten record intact with nine games without defeat.
Welsh outlet Y Clwb Pel-Droed praised Leeds’ £10m signing, Joe Rodon, awarding him a 7/10 rating. They commended his solid defensive display, highlighting his ability to win everything near the Wales box despite the soft goal conceded.
Nathan Blake, a former Wales star, described Rodon as “immense” following the draw, lauding his consistency and impressive performances.
“Joe Rodon and Chris Mepham have been immense alongside the full-backs. They’ve looked solid, cleaning up any mistakes and stopping every attack,” Blake said on BBC Sport.
Rodon, now with over 50 caps for Wales, is enjoying one of his best seasons yet, and at £10m, has proven to be a bargain for Leeds.
There’s a quick turnaround for him and his teammates as they head to Swansea on Saturday.
