Midfielder says injury ruined his hopes of playing for Bielsa at Leeds

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Mateusz Bogusz admits that Leeds United once saw him as a potential first-team player in the Premier League before an injury wrecked his hopes of a return to Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa. 

After making just three appearances in four years in West Yorkshire, the former Poland U21 international finally cut ties earlier this month. 

MLS outfit Los Angeles FC paid just shy of £900,000 to take Bogusz across the Atlantic. But what might have been for the highly-rated attacking midfielder had he not suffered a cruciate ligament rupture which kept him out of action for six months back in 2022?

Marcelo Bielsa liked Mateusz Bogusz at Leeds United

“The injury thwarted my plans a lot,” Bogusz tells Sportowe Fakty. “During a good period (on loan) in Ibiza, I tore the ligaments in my knee.  

“I scored some nice goals and added some assists. I heard that Leeds wanted to get me out of loan early because the first-team coach saw me in his team. (Then) I injured my knee and missed the rest of the season.” 

Bielsa would depart only four weeks after Bogusz’s injury anyway; replaced by Jesse Marsch following a trio of heavy defeats at the hands of Manchester City (7-0), Liverpool (6-0), and Tottenham Hotspur (4-0). 

Bielsa did admit, before riding into the sunset, that he was keeping a close eye on Bogusz’s form over in Spain. The former Ruch Chorzow talent, he said, was giving Leeds a ‘decision’ to make on the back of some highly-impressive performances. 

‘I could stay’

Bogusz’s contract at Leeds was due to expire this summer. The chance to play regular first-team football in the MLS, however, was one he could not miss, joining legendary Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at LAFC. 

“(Leeds) said they would sell me (but), if I wanted, I could stay,” Bogusz adds. “I didn’t receive information that they needed me for the next season. They gave me a free hand, which also gave me food for thought.

“I’d been waiting for a debut for a long time. I was on the bench the entire season we won promotion to the Premier League (in 2019/20) and didn’t come on until the last matchday. 

“I was hoping for more than playing for the U23 team, especially after a good pre-season in 2019. I played against Manchester United, I scored a nice goal against Sydney. I expected it to kick off, I was doing well in training.”