Leeds United sold the English hitman for £7 million last summer.
Kemar Roofe has given an insight into what life is like at Leeds United under the enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa.
Roofe, who left Leeds in a £7 million deal last summer, spent one year playing under the Argentine and subsequently had his best-ever season in the Championship, netting 15 goals.
Bielsa joined the Whites in the summer of 2018 and has taken them to the top of the Championship with a seven-point cushion in the automatic promotion spots, after the gut-wrenching playoff semi-final defeat by Derby County last term following an end-of-season collapse.
There can be little doubt that the United players have bought into the veteran coach’s philosophy, evident by where they are in the table.
But Roofe, now at Anderlecht, has revealed to The Sun that Bielsa manages to command his players’ respect without having close relationships with any of them.
The 27-year-old said: “Marcelo is a manager who likes to keep his distance from the players. He has a team of coaches that are very good so when he isn’t around they can take control.
“He had a team of coaches and fitness people that would run the ship pretty much while he was looking at the top and making sure everything was running smoothly.”
He’s clearly a fascinating character and what’s equally fascinating is how Leeds would fare in the Premier League under him.
Prior to the suspension of English Football League games, Bielsa’s side were enjoying a five-match winning streak and looked destined for the top flight, though time will tell whether the 2019-20 campaign resumes eventually or finishes early – or worryingly, if it’s voided entirely.
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