LUSCOS
LUSCOS Forum => Ordet er fritt => Emne startet av: Asbjørn på August 27, 2021, 15:24:53
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Da har han signert!
(https://dc6vmiz8c91pk.cloudfront.net/media/147/71207050373244/leo_hjelde_banner.jpg)
Defender joins the Whites.
Leeds United are pleased to announce the signing of Leo Hjelde from Scottish Premiership side Celtic for an undisclosed fee.
Hjelde celebrated his 18th birthday this week, by signing a four-year-deal at Elland Road, running until the summer of 2025.
The defender last season spent time on loan from Celtic at fellow Scottish Premiership side Ross County, completing a move in the January transfer window.
He went on to make 12 appearances in all competitions at Victoria Park, helping the Staggies secure their top-flight status.
Hjelde also scored one goal during his time with Ross County, which came in the 3-2 victory against Kilmarnock.
At youth level, Hjelde has won international caps for Norway at Under-16, 17 and 18 level.
He becomes the club’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window and will initially link up with Mark Jackson’s Under-23 side.
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https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-new-boy-leo-hjelde-a-relegation-battle-and-non-stop-grief-over-comparison-to-liverpools-virgil-van-dijk-3362496
Leeds United new boy Leo Hjelde, a relegation battle and 'non-stop' grief over comparison to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk
Leeds United have agreed a deal worth in excess of £1m to take centre-half Leo Hjelde from Celtic, an 18-year-old with some Scottish Premiership experience.
By Graham Smyth Friday, 27th August 2021, 2:01 pm
"I know exactly what you're going to say," laughed Callum Morris, before the question was even asked.
Morris played alongside Leeds United new boy Leo Hjelde last season at Ross County, where the on-loan teenager from Celtic left a lasting impression on his team-mates and manager John Hughes.
Hughes was so impressed, in fact, that he said this: "I 100 per cent believe he will reach the Premier League. Leo is going to be the next Virgil van Dijk, trust me on that, trust me."
It was as perfect a line for newspaper headlines as it was relentless training ground ribbing.
Dressing rooms around the country would kill for such ammunition - enough to fuel the grief for weeks.
"Non-stop," Morris told the YEP.
"Non-stop. A lot of the boys were like 'surely not gaffer, you can't be saying that' and in training Leo got it all the time - any time he gave the ball away he got the van Dijk shout. It probably helped him out, when there's something like that in the changing room for a young boy, it means he gets a bit of banter with everyone. Some might shy away but he thrived on it, enjoyed it. It shows the character of the lad."
Carrying the weightiest of comparisons around his neck had about as much impact on Hjelde's demeanour as anything else he faced as a 17-year-old tossed into the deep end of a Scottish Premiership relegation battle.
"He's old beyond his years," said Morris.
"He came into a really experienced, older changing room. Normally, when we've had a few loans from the Old Firm, they're quiet and timid when they first come in the door, until they start playing. Leo was just straight in. It was like he'd played about 400 games. He F***ed in straight away, quite lively and bubbly, spoke to everyone - it was actually refreshing.
"When he played, he did really well. When he made a mistake it didn't faze him, he just got on with it. It was great to have him around the place in a really tough season, a relegation battle. He stood up to it quite well."
Morris saw enough to convince him there was a very good player in the teenager.
"He's a cultured defender, very good on the ball, his positioning was very good, his left foot is also pretty refined, he'll find a pass," said Morris.
"As he gets older he's only going to get better, with the mentality he has, with games he'll get better and better. He has little things you probably couldn't teach players: the composure, the want to play football all the time. He's not scared of getting the ball anywhere, he'll keep playing. Little things he's got can take him that extra bit to the top."
Veteran Morris, who was also a highly rated teenage defender once as a Newcastle United academy team-mate of Andy Carroll and Sammy Ameobi, sees Leeds as a place where Hjelde can try and reach the top.
"Am I surprised Celtic are letting him go? Because of his ability probably a little bit, but they're in a transition, whereas going into Leeds, where they're well structured, with a very obvious way of playing and a manager who will tell him exactly what he needs to do, will benefit him. He'll thrive. For him it's a perfect move."
It's a move that took its time. Leeds have tracked the Norwegian youth international for a while and finally reached an agreement with Celtic last week on a deal in excess of £1m.
Hjelde celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday being poked, prodded and scanned at Living Care in Leeds city centre, the Thorp Arch gym and a cardiovascular screening clinic in Manchester, before arriving at Elland Road to sign a four-year deal that was announced this afternoon.
It was former Ross County manager Hughes who first revealed Leeds' interest and he's glad to see it followed through to a conclusion.
"They've got themselves a star, an absolute cracker," he told the YEP.
"He needed to go and play in men's football and it was a real challenge at Ross County but he came out on top. Technically very, very good, really quick, great left foot, great range of passes - Leeds will suit him. There's no other club that will suit him more than Leeds.
"I'm just hoping he goes right onto the first team training pitch, stretches himself and lets the first team players like big Cooper the captain bring the best out of him. Working with Bielsa is what he needs. He's in the right club."
What Leeds have in Hjelde is high potential, but not a Premier League ready operator.
While Hughes was delighted to see the youngster integrating well with the senior players at Victoria Park, he sensed respect was getting in the way.
"I felt, and I had to speak to Leo, that he was holding back a wee bit in terms of being respectful to the senior pros in training, not wanting to be leading the way," he said.
"I said be who you are, you lead. He plays well beyond his years - some of the passes, the long diagonals he can produce, he's a footballing centre-half but very, very humble. I just felt at times, because of the respect, he was holding back. I'm hoping they bring that out of him at Leeds and say give it everything you've got."
For all the ability on display and an attitude that undoubtedly ticked a box for Leeds, Hjelde did not coast through his time in the Highlands.
"It wasn't always easy, sometimes in Scotland it's a physical battle and he handled it," said Hughes.
"If he didn't, he came back for more. The physical stuff will come. He's never out of the gym, he's 6ft 2ins and it'll come as he matures. He's nowhere near the finished article, but he's humble enough to listen and hungry enough to implement what's required."
So, about that van Dijk shout, then.
"I've seen a lot of him and a lot of van Dijk," said the former Celtic and Hibs player.
"He's not got the physical presence, that'll come later but he's got the stature. He's got the pace, the passing range, he's a natural lefty and has a desire to defend. We tested him every day one-on-one in training and when I'm getting all the stats, Leo was well up there for running and effort. He never shied away from it once."
Morris is still not completely sold on the comparison, but his hopes for Hjelde align entirely with Hughes'.
"Virgil van Dijk is a bold statement, like," he said.
"Having played against van Dijk and played with Leo, I think van Dijk is a bit ahead of him but then again Leo is a lot younger. I'd like to think he could go right to the top to be honest with you.
"I wouldn't question that he'll make it, not at all. How high he goes is up to him."
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Født i Nottingham, faktisk!
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Ett minutts video-presentasjon
https://twitter.com/LUFC/status/1431243599790972933?s=20
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Strålende signering! Og nå får vi enda mer oppmerksomhet her hjemme med to norske i stallen. ;)
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Født i Nottingham, faktisk!
Derfor han snakker engelsk flytende?
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Født i Nottingham, faktisk!
Derfor han snakker engelsk flytende?
Utfra farens wikipedia flyttet familien til Norge da han var fire år gammel...
Og han returnerte til balløya og Celtic da han var 15.
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Født i Nottingham, faktisk!
Derfor han snakker engelsk flytende?
Utfra farens wikipedia flyttet familien til Norge da han var fire år gammel...
Og han returnerte til balløya og Celtic da han var 15.
Gode gener, lightversjonen av Håland, far & sønn.
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Strålende signering! Og nå får vi enda mer oppmerksomhet her hjemme med to norske i stallen. ;)
og vi pøser på med venstrebeinte spillere.. :D
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U23-debut i dag.
Mark Jackson issues verdict on Leo Hjelde's Leeds United Under-23s debut against West Ham United
Leeds United's latest academy recruit Leo Hjelde was handed a first chance to impress for his new club this weekend.
By Joe Urquhart Saturday, 11th September 2021, 7:19 pm
The Whites signed the 18-year-old defender from Scottish Premiership side Celtic on a four-year deal last month and the development visit of West Ham to Thorp Arch offered the opportunity for competitive action.
Hjelde swiftly headed away on international duty with Norway's Under-18s after joining the Elland Road ranks on a permanent basis.
He was, though, selected to start against the Hammers in the Premier League 2 encounter, beginning at left-back before moving into his more natural home of central defence in the second half of the 2-2 draw.
The former Ross County loanee grew into the game and really came into his own following the half-time interval.
Hjelde was commanding in the air and claimed one of the standout moments of the afternoon, producing a perfectly-timed last-ditch tackle to deny the Hammers a goalscoring opportunity inside his own area.
He also showed he is bright with his feet after beating three men with a mazy run into the opposition half before feeding in striker Max Dean.
Jackson - who was happy with the fight shown by his side in earning a point - was left pleased post-match by a first outing for his squad's latest addition.
"It's always a challenge for a player to come in and make their debut at the club when they've not been with us long," Under-23s boss Jackson told the YEP.
"He signed and went away on international duty, so he's not trained a lot with us. We know he can play left-back. He played there during his loan spell with Ross County - but ultimately he is a centre-back.
"He showed that in the second half [against West Ham] and I thought his second half performance was really pleasing. He was finding his feet in the first half and he found it tough but he stuck at it.
"Overall it was a good performance."
Asked about Hjelde's visible growth in confidence as the afternoon wore on, Jackson added: "That's important. I spoke to him before the game and he slotted into a left-back position at the start.
"It's not natural to him but he's played it. In the second half I thought he was commanding in the air. We said at half-time we needed to be. He was commanding and he stepped in well with the ball and showed his range of passing."
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/mark-jackson-issues-verdict-on-leo-hjeldes-leeds-united-under-23s-debut-against-west-ham-united-3379903
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Bra kamp i går av Leo
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Leo kaptein for U23 i går - og det var ikke tilfeldig, sier Mark Jackson...
Same qualities' - Leeds United 23s boss Mark Jackson on nurturing ex Celtic teen Leo Hjelde after academy twice answered Marcelo Bielsa call
Leeds United’s Under-23s have answered the call from Marcelo Bielsa in two separate defensive injury crises by supplying a pair of impressive young centre-backs and Mark Jackson is hard at work nurturing yet another.
........
That may well take Jackson’s captain out of the 23s squad when they travel to Leicester City in Premier League 2 action on Friday night, but he handed the armband to another centre-back this week in the EFL Trophy at Oldham.
Leo Hjelde arrived from Celtic in the summer and has already exhibited some of the traits Jackson has witnessed in Cresswell over their years together at Thorp Arch.
“I see good leadership qualities in Leo, I have done for a while, watching him throughout the summer before he signed for the club,” said Jackson.
“He demonstrates good leadership qualities. It was a test for him to come in and take the armband and lead the team. I challenged him to lead the team and organise. It’s a new system of play for him to get used to so that challenge as well will be difficult for him but I’ve got full confidence in him, and I see qualities I can help nurture in him.
“I did that with Charlie Cresswell throughout the time I worked with him, from Under 16s, through the 18s and 23s. I see the same qualities in Leo.”
The Norwegian will already know that the pecking order does not simply come down to a natural fit for a position in Bielsa’s team – Kalvin Phillips and Ayling playing centre-half is proof that he will use the best player available with a profile close enough to that required by the vacancy – but you never know when the phone will ring. He just has to show he’s ready to answer it.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/same-qualities-leeds-united-23s-boss-mark-jackson-on-nurturing-ex-celtic-teen-leo-hjelde-after-academy-twice-answered-marcelo-bielsa-call-3401520
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Lurer bare på om de var engelske eller norske.. :)
https://twitter.com/GrahamSmyth/status/1449474132865916939?s=20
A pair of Leo Hjelde's mates were on the train to Birmingham, sitting directly in front of a Leeds fan who sang 'Oh Raphinha' to the tune of Cecilia all the way from Southampton Central. They looked like they'd discovered an alien life force. A bright spot on a dark day.
https://twitter.com/GelderdResident/status/1449478826837303296?s=20
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Skal vi gi Bryn Law godkjent for denne uttalen, eller er det noen med bedre forslag?
So Yeld-eh?
Vi endte med dette: :D
Yelled-ehh
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Skal vi gi Bryn Law godkjent for denne uttalen, eller er det noen med bedre forslag?
So Yeld-eh?
Vi endte med dette: :D
Yelled-ehh
Bør staves:
Yield- eh
Yield= utbytte
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Var det virkelig ingen som plukket opp denne tråden etter debutkampen på søndag! Veldig imponert over Leo i denne kampen. Jeg var imponert over Cresswell i hans debut også, men synes kanskje Hjelde var bedre :) Defensivt usedvanlig solid, og klarte seg rimelig greit med å gjøre det enkelt i igangsettingsfasen også, selv om han kanskje var noe stressa når han fikk ballen under press. Men det var i høyeste grad Strujik også i starten (og delvis ennå).
Uansett en 100% godkjent debut fra unge Leo Hjelde, og det er ingen som hever et øyenbryn når han får sin PL-debut til helga.
@LUFCDATA på TWITTER:
Leo Hjelde’s Leeds debut vs. West Ham:
78 mins played
74 touches
53/65 successful passes
4 clearances
3 duels
3 ball recoveries
2 interceptions
2 fouls
1 blocked shot
Really impressive senior debut by the 18-year-old.
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Hjelde var veldig positiv i debuten, og det mot tøff motstand. Det var tydelig at han var litt var for å gjøre feil i oppspillsfasen, men han hadde et par forsøk på å ta med seg ballen framover. Jeg har aldri sett ham spille før, men det så ut som det var noe han vanligvis har i spillestilen sin.
Vi har bunnsolid ettervekst på midtstopperplass. Hjelde virker veldig lovende, Cresswell tålte definitivt å bli kastet til ulvene, og Struijk har allerede etablert seg. De bør ha gode mentorer på ulike defensive egenskaper og det å tørre å lede (Llorente, Cooper, Phillips) så Hjelde og de andre bør ha gode forutsetninger for å bli skikkelig gode. Det er kanskje såpass mange av dem at det bør bli et utlån på en av dem.
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https://www.thesquareball.net/blog/hjel-yeah-and-a-high-five/ (https://www.thesquareball.net/blog/hjel-yeah-and-a-high-five/)
THE BEST LEO
Hjel-yeah and a high five
I hate London.
I hate how we lose every time we go there, I hate how VAR seems to enter some alternate dimension there, and I hate how you can hear a cockney accent in every chant they manage to force out (usually the same one three times a game).
You know what I don’t hate? Promising young centre-backs.
On a day with little to celebrate from a Leeds perspective — more VAR controversy, another third round FA Cup exit, injuries piling up to the point we can legitimately refer to a hillock — there were two bright sparks, in the form of debutants Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde.
Bate, to his credit, deserves his own write-up: an extremely efficient display, barking out orders and demanding the ball from players with much more experience, before he was (unfairly?) taken off at half-time for Stuart Dallas. His confidence was evident in the way he took on two difficult efforts in his 45 minutes of fame: a curling shot from the edge of the area, and a dropping ball he planned to volley, crisply, back into the top corner. Neither came close to going in, granted, but it’s the cojones to give it a go that I like. Vamos, kid. Very good.
Much as I could blather about young Lewis, my attention was drawn to the fresh-faced behemoth behind him in central defence. Looking as if he’d stepped out of Skyrim, yet just eighteen years old, Leo Fuhr Hjelde was handed a fear-inducing task on top of the pressure of his first-team debut: handling Michail Antonio. It’s a task many defenders of many differing experience levels have been given, and one that many have come away from with severely bruised egos. Antonio, like much of the West Ham team, is a man playing at the top of his game, confident in his ability and the players around him. Not exactly the kind of individual you want to be facing when your last senior game was for Ross County last May. Though this game ended 2-0 to the hosts, and Antonio impressed as he often does, it would be plain wrong to point at Hjelde as the culpable party. In fact, by the end of Hjelde’s time on the pitch, Antonio was noticeably focusing more on Diego Llorente than his teenage colleague. All things considered, and taken off with just under fifteen minutes to go, the Nottingham-born Norwegian did good. Damn good, to be precise.
Two interceptions, four clearances, 66 passes (second only to Llorente and eleven more than any West Ham player, although he did bump up Meslier’s ‘passes received’ stats at the same time), with a couple of fouls sprinkled in for good measure. The stats don’t tell everything, but they give a clear indication of how involved Hjelde was. This wasn’t the kind of youth introduction we’ve seen from Bielsa in the past, when risks are minimised and players are clearly instructed to play it safe until they’ve found their footing. This was in at the deep end and let’s see if you can keep yourself afloat. Also there are sharks. And we’ve turned the lights off.
Hjelde even played a huge part in the ‘goal’ West Ham ‘scored’ in the first half. After receiving Antonio’s pass, it looked as if Nikola Vlasic had left his young marker for dead. The folly of youth. But Hjelde stuck to him, somehow, with the kind of dogged determination that could prove useful in the second half of this season. As Vlasic shaped to shoot, the path to goal was obstructed by a wall with blonde hair. It was a fantastic tackle, last gasp, perfectly timed, and absolutely necessary. It was the kind of tackle that, nine times out of ten, a seasoned pro gets wrong. What’s more, it meant Jarrod Bowen, who attempted to make a play on the loose ball, was left offside, giving the VAR team an easy decision to disallow the goal that followed. They skied that one over the bar, through no fault of Hjelde’s.
The disappointment of the goal aside, there was so much more to enjoy about Hjelde’s performance than that one tackle. Driving into midfield on more than one occasion, something Bielsa likes his defenders to do but isn’t simple, took confidence on the ball. His physicality, unafraid to mix it with a seasoned fighter like Antonio, emphasised his attitude. This isn’t a shrinking violet we’re dealing with; he had no problem showing anyone in claret and blue who he was. At times he was a little naïve, sticking too close to a striker who knows every trick in the book, but he got the better of Antonio more than once, and you could see the effect as West Ham’s number 30 diverted his attention to the other side of the Leeds backline.
With both Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk sidelined, and Robin Koch required as cover for Kalvin Phillips, it won’t be a shock if Hjelde is back in the team soon, perhaps even returning to the London Stadium at the weekend. With that in mind, it would be typical of Leeds fans (with me the prime example, I’m aware) to expect too much of young Hjelde. One good performance does not a player make, and praise can very quickly turn to criticism in this game, but it’s hard not to be excited about a debut like the one we saw on Sunday. The game may have ended in defeat, but Hjelde can hold his head high, even receiving a rare moment of recognition from a coach who tends to keep his platitudes away from the cameras.
It’s not every day you get a high five from Marcelo Bielsa.
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https://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/i/RrQrrx/slik-fikset-leeds-leo-18-rekordrask-vei-til-premier-league-folk-synes-det-var-rart
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https://www.nrk.no/sport/norsk-premier-league-komet-fikk-beskjed-om-a-ga-ned-i-vekt_-_-det-var-brutalt-1.15814058
Hehe, Murderball - skulle markere Bamford og var sliten etter to minutter - da gjenstod det fortsatt en halvtime...
Norsk Premier League-komet fikk beskjed om å gå ned i vekt: – Det var brutalt
Leo Fuhre Hjelde (18) er den yngste nordmannen til å debutere i en Premier League-kamp noensinne. Tross tilliten i Leeds, beskriver han overgangen til engelsk fotball som alt annet en enkel. Hjelde fikk nemlig beskjed om å ta et drastisk grep da han kom til klubben.
Christian Grieg Sander
Den norske kometen sitter på bussen hjem fra London når NRK slår på tråden. Leo Fuhre Hjelde er storfornøyd etter å ha vært med på å slå West Ham i sin Premier League-debut.
– Det var ekstremt stort. Det kan jeg si. Det er litt surrealistisk å få debuten i en så ung alder, det gjør det nesten enda bedre, sier Hjelde til NRK.
Nordmannen ble byttet inn etter 23 minutter da Leeds måtte gjøre to bytter grunnet skade. Innhoppet gjør at han nå er den yngste norske Premier League-debutanten i historien.
– Alt skjedde veldig fort. Det var to spillere som gikk ned og da fikk jeg beskjed om å gå ut og varme opp. Da jeg skjønte at jeg skulle inn, dunka hjerte ganske greit.
– For min del er det en fin tittel å ha med seg. Det kommer nok ikke til å synke inn før litt senere, sier Hjelde videre.
Britain Soccer Premier League
I DUELL: Hjelde i duell med West Hams Craig Dawson.
FOTO: IAN WALTON / AP
– Det var et sjokk
Hjelde skrev under på en fireårskontrakt med Leeds i august. Forrige sesong spilte han for Ross County på utlån fra Celtic i den skotske toppdivisjonen.
Trønderen innrømmer at overgangen fra Celtic og skotsk fotball har vært tøff. 18-åringen skjønte tidlig at hverdagen i engelsk fotball kom til å bli en helt annen.
– Starten har vært veldig fin, men det tok meg et par uker å komme inn i treningshverdagen, sier Hjelde og legger til at det tok litt lengre tid enn det han trodde.
Stopperen fikk blant tidlig beskjed om at han måtte ta grep med kroppen og gå ned i vekt.
– Jeg fikk beskjed at jeg måtte gå noen kilo ned for å bli Premier League-midtstopper. Man har vektmål, så jeg fikk beskjed om å gå ned noen kilo for å være på den kampvekten de ville. Det var litt tungt å trappe ned på maten, innrømmer nordmannen.
Kontrasten fra hverdagen i Celtic har nemlig vært veldig stor.
– I Celtic fikk jeg beskjed om at jeg var for lett. Jeg spiste litt mer, og treningene var ikke i nærheten av like harde. Det var et sjokk liksom å komme fra Skottland. Det er et helt annet nivå her. Jeg har fått god backing fra klubben og spillerne rundt.
775757586
LEEDS-DEBUTEN: Hjelde fikk debuten for Leeds da laget røk ut av FA-cupen mot nettopp West Ham sist helg.
FOTO: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
– Brutalt til tider
Unggutten sier han også har fått et godt forhold til sin nye trener, Marcelo Bielsa. Den karastmatiske argentineren har tatt godt vare på Hjelde, ifølge han selv.
– Han har hjulpet meg veldig mye for å oppnå målene mine. Jeg har fått vært med a-laget siden første dag. Det har gjort mye for meg å jobbe under en av verdens beste managere.
– Han er jo vært hard til tider. Det får du kjenne på liksom, fortsetter midtstopperen.
Hjelde innrømmer at den intensive spillstilen til Bielsa har tært på og beskriver noen økter som brutale.
– Det er mye løping. For min del har det til tider vært brutale treningsdager.
18-åringen husker spesielt én trening han beskriver som ekstra tung.
– Det var vel en «murderball»-trening (11 mot 11 uten regler). Jeg husker jeg spilte mot Patrick Bamford og var sliten etter to minutter. Og da var det en halvtime igjen.
Nordmannen har tydeligvis gjort noe riktig. Fredagens kamp mot West Ham var hans andre kamp på rad for Bielsas lag. 18-åringen spilte hele kampen for Leeds da laget røk ut av FA-cupen mot nettopp West Ham sist helg.
Nå håper han på mer tillit.
– Det er bare fortsette på denne godtrenden og vise en god figur, sier Hjelde avslutningsvis.
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https://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/i/RrQrrx/slik-fikset-leeds-leo-18-rekordrask-vei-til-premier-league-folk-synes-det-var-rart
Vårt nye trønderske stjerneskudd får mye spalteplass om dagen, artig det!
Måtte han bare fortsette framgangen! ;D
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Mer om unge Leo på TV2:
https://www.tv2.no/sport/14507938/?mode=sportenapp&app=sporten
auren
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Bilesa trakk fram Hjelde som et av Ortas beste trekk i jobben!
Ikkje èn, men to ganger under gårsdagens presser!
Joe Donnohue
@JoeDonnohue
Found it interesting that Marcelo Bielsa grouped Leo Hjelde in with Pascal Struijk and Joe Gelhardt not once but twice in his press conference yesterday. Three young players, at different stages of their development, all making the right noises. #lufc
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/bielsa-leeds-united-hjelde-gelhardt-22828131
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Bate & Hjelde intervjuet av LUTV
Leo Hjelde and Lewis Bate on funny Leeds United duo, 'unbelievable' fans and sleep admission
Leeds United's newest pair of Premier League debutants Leo Hjelde and Lewis Bate have singled out Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling
By Joe Donnohue Leeds United Reporter 08:00, 24 JAN 2022
SPORT
Leo Hjelde (L) and Lewis Bate (R) discuss their Premier League debuts for Leeds United with the club's media channel
(Image: Leeds United)
Leeds United saw their seventh and eighth teenage Premier League debutants of the season take to the field during the 3-2 win over West Ham United earlier this month.
Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde were unceremoniously summoned from the bench to replaced injured duo Adam Forshaw and Junior Firpo in the first half of that game.
Both players were signed in the summer, from Chelsea and Celtic respectively, and integrated initially with the U23 side.
While neither featured in the Whites' most recent league outing - a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United at Elland Road - the pair have been speaking to the club's media channel about their Premier League debuts, experiences of Leeds United fans so far and the difficulty of Marcelo Bielsa's training.
"Of course, playing in the Premier League is every player's dream from across the world, everyone knows it's the best league in the world. Especially representing Leeds in the Premier League, it's a special feeling," Bate said of his top flight bow.
"Even from outside Leeds, everyone knows the training's hard but the senior players have helped us through it every step of the way when we've needed help, and when we've been around the first-team they've guided and supported us," the ex-Chelsea midfielder added.
Chiming in, Leo Hjelde said: "A lot of the senior players came up to me on the first day and just told me: 'it will probably take you a couple of weeks to do all the drills and things but just settle in quickly and get to work.'"
Asked about the most influential characters in the senior dressing room, Bate and Hjelde answered unanimously: "Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas."
"Them two are the funniest, for sure," the Norwegian added with a smirk.
Referring back to their Premier League debuts, both players paid their dues to the travelling Leeds fans.
"For me it was absolutely crazy, when we scored the third goal as well, everyone was celebrating with the fans and you can just hear the noise. To be fair, it felt like the whole stadium was filled with Leeds fans because you couldn't really hear the West Ham fans so, it was just unbelievable," Hjelde said.
"It's the same wherever they go, to be honest with you," Lewis Bate interjected. "I remember being on the bench against Arsenal at home, we lost the game 4-1 but in the 90th minute we had about 30,000 singing 'We love Leeds' - I don't think it's like that at any other club, it's unique.
"They're always the loudest wherever they go and the most supportive. They're unbelievable," Bate added.
On training, Hjelde answered with refreshing honesty: "It's tough, I've never been used to training this hard before so when I came in it was a complete shock to the body and everything so I was probably sleeping after every training session - I was just knackered all the time.
"You get used to it, though, and right now it feels easier, I would say, but it's still very hard," he finished.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/leeds-united-fans-bate-hjelde-22847368
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Denne karen har gjort manns jobb de gangene han har blitt kastet inn i PL- og FA-cup-sirkuset.
Jeg føler meg faktisk 100% trygg når han spiller. Kaster seg inn og avverger skudd som fort kunne blitt tellende (til det verre) i dagens kamp.
Enormt potensiale til å bli en ruvende forsvarsspiller. 8)
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Hjelde won all of his ground duels in the game, not being beaten in any of the four he contested. He also had 73 touches too in the game, showing he wasn’t scared to get involved in play and wasn’t shying away from the ball.
Hjelde burde starte neste kamp, med mindre Bielsa mener en skadet Dallas, eller en friskmeldt Firpo er ett bedre valg.
Imponere meg meget, våget noen gode crossere, sterk i duellspill. Vil se mer til Hjelde
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Det som jeg merket meg var at han fikk ikke panikk hver gang han fikk ballen i beina. Rolig som skjæra på tunet den gutten der 😊
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Vår unge trønder var gjest i NrK Trøndelag sin morgensending på radio i morges, han fikk godt med taletid og trakk bl.a. fram Bielsa som avgjørende for at han kom til Leeds. Han fortalte også om et "veddemål" med faren Jon Olav om at hvis han oppnådde 10 kamper i PL i Skottland skulle han få lov til å sette skolegang på vent...!! ;D ;D ;D Han skal ha en mindre kneoperasjon nå denne uka men mente sjøl han ville være klar igjen om et par uker. Håper Marsch vil gi han noen sjanser framover, den unge Hjelde har jo ikke gjort seg bort de gangene vi har sett han!! Håper han har en stor framtid hos oss! ;D
Intervjuet finnes inni her hvis noen er interessert:
https://radio.nrk.no/serie/distriktsprogram-troendelag/DKTL01004322
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Ojj, i denne tråden har det vært stillere enn Leos fremgang fortjener.
Kom til oss som 17-åring, i dag er han nitten (Gratulerer!).
Han har rett og slett en bra standing blant supportere i England.
Og journalister :)
https://twitter.com/JoeDonnohue/status/1563161045950418946?s=20&t=m6fqDLYBpaQQ5Dw8p7uPzQ
Nå er også LUSCOS hans offisielle spillersponsor for sesongen.
https://twitter.com/luscos/status/1563099988821164035?s=20&t=m6fqDLYBpaQQ5Dw8p7uPzQ
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Ryktet som gikk, er nå offisielt. Tror dette passer Hjelde bra. :)
Defender joins Championship side.
Leeds United can confirm Leo Hjelde has joined Sky Bet Championship side Rotherham United, on loan until the end of the 2022/23 season.
The 19-year-old joined the Whites at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign and has made five first team appearances since his arrival, whilst also impressing in the Under-21s side during that time.
With the ability to play both at left-back and in central defence, Hjelde will now head to the AESSEAL New York Stadium looking to gain further experience and game time with the Millers.
Rotherham are currently 21st in the table and will be continuing their fight to secure their safety in the division, under manager Matt Taylor.
We would like wish Leo the best of luck during his time with Rotherham United.
https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/30841/leo-hjelde-joins-rotherham-united-on-loan
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Hjelde rett inn på laget til Rotherham i dagens kamp hjemme mot Blackburn. Starter til venstre av tre midtstoppere. En gammel eks-spiller, Lee Peltier, er også i lagoppstillingen.
8) I første spilleminutt legger Hjelde flott inn fra venstre, og Rotherham banker ballen i mål.
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Hjelde rett inn på laget til Rotherham i dagens kamp hjemme mot Blackburn. Starter til venstre av tre midtstoppere. En gammel eks-spiller, Lee Peltier, er også i lagoppstillingen.
8) I første spilleminutt legger Hjelde flott inn fra venstre, og Rotherham banker ballen i mål.
Kult, og ikke overraskende. Leo virker å ha en sterk psyke.
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Jøss! De knuste Blackburn hele 4-0!! Litt av en debut for Hjelde!
auren
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Hva sier lokaljournoen om Leos tid i Rotherham so far?
Leo Hjelde is eight games into his loan spell at Rotherham United after making the move from Leeds United in the January transfer window. Matt Taylor's side are battling against relegation from the Championship but Hjelde has played a key role so far and he seems to be thriving at the New York Stadium.
With that in mind, LeedsLive got in touch with the Rotherham Advertiser's Millers reporter Paul Davis to chat about all things Hjelde.
My general impression is that Rotherham United in the Championship have got a player of Premier League talent. We expected big things because he was coming from Leeds United and we’ve not been disappointed. It’s very easy to forget he is only 19, he plays with a real maturity about him.
He started really well and he was excellent for six games but he’s just gone off a bit in the last two games and he was on the bench for the most recent one. The manager Matt Taylor expected that, he said, ‘you can’t expect a lad of that age to just keep performing at the top level in every game and it’s inevitable he will dip a little bit’. He has done that but I think the international break will do him good and I expect him to be back to the standards he showed early on in his Rotherham spell as soon as he comes back.
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/leeds-united-leo-hjelde-rotherham-26543800
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YEP har snakket med manageren og keeperen (svensk) om Leos tid i Rotherham så langt:
Men det essensielle kommer vel her fra manager Taylor:
"He's not a centre-back yet," said Taylor.
"I expect that when he gets to the middle part of his career he'll be able to play in the middle of the pitch. In relation to the Championship and the physical nature of the opposition centre-forwards and the physical nature of it he's not there as yet. He will probably play the majority of his career in a more central position.
"The games have taught him the most, the opposition and his team-mates," Taylor told the YEP.
(utdrag ellers)
"He's learned how he's got to be physical first and foremost and move his full speed first as opposed to chasing the speed of the game and to keep being a front-foot player. He plays better when he's on his front foot and meeting the action at its earliest possible point. There's also all the inner details of playing left centre-half, left-back, left-wing-back, defending the back post and marking on set-pieces. He's having to mark players who are physically stronger than himself. That's something he won't have done previously. He's coming up against wingers who are quick and tricky and have got different deliveries off both feet. He's constantly learning and he'll learn an awful lot more in the next eight games."
Getting to where he needs to be will require Hjelde to grow off the field as much as on it but Taylor has no concerns about the way the Leeds man has settled into the dressing room at Rotherham.
"He sometimes comes in a questionable outfit and the lads give him a bit of stick for that," said the boss.
"He's a good personality; a mature head on young shoulders. His dad [ex-Forest defender Jon Olav Hjelde] was a big part in his upbringing and footballing development. He's been around football for a long time.
"Like with a lot of Scandinavians, his English is so fluent and he's F***ed in really well. Sometimes I go into the physio room or the changing room and he and Viktor [Johansson, Rotherham goalkeeper] are speaking. I don't know what the language is. It's probably a mixture between Norwegian and Swedish. I don't have a clue what they're saying."
Around a third of the time, neither Johansson nor Hjelde have a clue what is being said either, but the pair have hit it off so well that the Leeds defender's arrival has had a nostalgic effect on the Swedish goalkeeper.
"He's been brilliant since he came in," Johansson told the YEP.
"It's not easy for a young pro to come into a club and fit right in. He's done that. Outside the pitch he's been brilliant, on the pitch he's been brilliant. It's a good changing room to come into, that helped him get settled quick, but he's a great character to have around.
"He speaks Norwegian to me and I speak Swedish to him. We understand each other probably 60, 70 per cent of the time and then the other 30 we just laugh at each other. It works fine. I think it has helped him settle. It's helping me loads as well. When it's just us two we chat in our own language and it feels like going back in time, being 13 or 14 in the changing room just chatting about weird stuff."
Off the pitch Johansson finds Hjelde hilarious when he loses his 'guard' and acts like 'the kid he is.' On the pitch the Norwegian has shown a maturity that his 24-year-stopper appreciates just as much.
"He's very mature," said Johansson.
"I spoke to him about this the other day, he sees play seconds before it happens, he knows everything before it actually happens which is a very good ability to have so young. He's so much older than he actually is, on the pitch. He's learning the other side of the game as well. The toughness, he's learned that quite a bit, it's toughened him up. He's winning his headers, clearing balls, doing that side for us."
The 'other' side of the game is going to be key for Hjelde if he is to move inside from a wider role. To date he has split his senior career appearances between centre-back and left-back, or left wing-back. At Rotherham, though, Taylor doesn't yet believe him physically suited to a central position.
"He's not a centre-back yet," said Taylor.
"I expect that when he gets to the middle part of his career he'll be able to play in the middle of the pitch. In relation to the Championship and the physical nature of the opposition centre-forwards and the physical nature of it he's not there as yet. He will probably play the majority of his career in a more central position. For ourselves, left-back definitely suits him. The left of a back three would suit him, as would left wing-back. He needs to be more on the outside just to offset a bit of the crash, bang, wallop which happens in the middle of every single game in the middle of every single pitch at Championship level."
Helping to keep Rotherham at Championship level would represent a highly satisfactory bookend to this chapter of Hjelde's career, before the Elland Road debate over his next step begins.
Taylor is satisfied that, so far, the Leeds United man has shown the right attitude to play his part for the collective, in order to progress as an individual.
"We like to think we have a good working environment and he's bought into that," said Taylor.
"We had a good catch-up before he went away [with Norway Under 21s], we had a good catch-up when he wasn't starting. He understood it. He just wants to improve. I'm excited to see what level he can get to in the future."
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-youngster-with-questionable-outfits-not-a-centre-back-yet-but-learning-rough-trade-4094330
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TV2 har snakket med Leo under U21-mesterskapet.
Leo er ennå så ung at han gir ærlige intervjuer, vil eg nesten si:
– De siste seks månedene har vært fine. Jeg har fått spilt mange kamper og berget Rotherham, så for min del sluttet sesongen på en høy plass. Så rykket Leeds ned tre uker senere, så selvfølgelig ble jo det tøft, men jeg har bare trent og gjort meg klar til mesterskap. Det er ikke så mye mer jeg får gjort med det, sier Hjelde.
De siste ukene har 19-åringen blant annet vært linket til italienske Salernitana. Selv innrømmer hovedpersonen at han er usikker på hvor han spiller neste sesong.
– For meg er det bare å komme tilbake til Leeds og gjøre en bra oppkjøring, så får vi se hva som skjer der.
– Ønsker du å bli værende?
– Det får vi se. Vi får se hvem som kommer inn. Ingenting er jo sikkert i klubben, vi har ikke noen manager ennå, så vi får se.
https://www.tv2.no/sport/fotball/midt-under-kamp-havnet-leo-i-diskusjon-med-en-pa-tribunen-ble-litt-frustrert/15848077/
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Solgt til Sunderland. Lykke til videre.
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Fra offisielt hold ...
Defender leaves in permanent deal.
Leeds United can confirm Leo Hjelde has joined fellow Sky Bet Championship side Sunderland, in a permanent deal.
The 20-year-old moved to the Whites in the Summer of 2021, from Scottish side Celtic. He initially linked up with the Under-21s at Thorp Arch, before progressing into the senior side.
Hjelde made his first team debut in January 2022, away at West Ham United in the Emirates FA Cup, before following that up with a Premier League debut just a week later against the same opponents.
In total, Leo made eight appearances for the club, whilst he also spent time out on loan with Rotherham United during the 2022/23 campaign.
Everyone at Leeds United would like to wish Leo the best of luck on Wearside and in his future career.
https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/32841/leo-hjelde-joins-sunderland
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I en artikkel i YEP står det at Hjelde ble solgt for rundt £2 millioner.