The Swedish star came straight from the Swedish season into the Championship campaign.
Leeds United’s Marcus Antonsson scores their first goal
Marcus Antonsson has been discussing his difficult first season at Leeds United, and pointed out something that may be a cause for his struggle to settle into first-team football at Elland Road.
Leeds United signed the Swedish striker from Kalmar in the summer. The club were reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post to have agreed an eventual fee of £2 million for the striker – who was the top goal-scorer in the Allsvenskan at the time of his move.
Speaking to Fotbol Direkt this week the Swede suggested that perhaps his long season, which also encompassed the first half of the Swedish top-flight, may have had an impact as he looks forward to a much needed break:
“This holiday is the one I have longed for most … well, a very long time. It is a bit out, it’s 17 months total in the league and throughout this long season on it. So it has certainly affected. I’ve been practicing really hard, you have to always be prepared. In the Championship so all squad players are always prepared to go in…so you have to be ready.
“The only time off I had before this, it was a week last summer. So really it’s 17 months straight with no time off.”
Leeds United’s Marcus Antonsson and Fulham’s Michael Madl in action
Antonsson initially started well at Leeds but soon found himself out of the first-team picture under Garry Monk, as his form and fitness began to dip.
He has not played for the club since the FA Cup defeat v Sutton United on the 29th January and has scored just three times in his debut Championship campaign.
Blackburn’s Jason Lowe and Leeds’ Marcus Antonsson in action
However, it is easy to see why considering he has been playing and training regularly for over a year now.
Hopefully he can enjoy a summer break, a good pre-season, and make his mark in West Yorkshire.
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