Former Leeds United striker Marcus Antonsson admits life at Elland Road became a tad “awkward” for him in summer 2018 amid the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa, speaking to VG.
When people say Victor Orta’s track record as Leeds director of football is, well, mixed, they are usually referring to signings like this one.
The Spaniard deserves huge credit for the role he has played in luring the likes of Bielsa and Rodrigo Moreno to West Yorkshire but Antonsson is one of many Orta signings who failed to make an impression after moving to England from a ‘lesser’ European league.
The Swedish striker scored 20 times in 42 seasons at Kalmar FF but, after sealing a £1.5 million move to Leeds, hit the net just once in 16 Championship matches.
A loan spell at Blackburn Rovers was best described as ‘hit and miss’ too.
And once Malmo offered Antonsson a return to Scandinavia two years ago, a sudden departure proved the right thing for everyone involved.
“My development in Leeds was stopped by injuries,” says Antonsson, who has been left wondering what might have been.
“You learn a lot (in another country), and it is useful to get out of Scandinavia and get your football tested in England. I felt I developed in England.
“Bielsa came (to Leeds) right after I had left and it was a bit awkward that I did not get the chance to show myself in front of him. You don’t know, maybe he had thought I was very good. But you cannot look back.”
As Mateusz Klich will tell you, almost every player was given a clean slate by Bielsa. Klich had been farmed out on loan by predecessor Thomas Christiensen but immediately became a key member of the Argentine’s starting XI.
So you can understand why Antonsson is wondering how differently his life may have turned out if he’d been given the chance to catch Bielsa’s eye.
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