Leeds United have bounced back from a dismal relegation season impressively this campaign, third in the Championship standings after dropping out of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Leicester City a statement victory from Daniel Farke’s men.
Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been miles ahead of the promotion pack – both sides only losing a combined three games – but the Whites will take some pleasure in the fact that they’ve managed to unsettle the Foxes with that win which could begin to worry Ipswich in the second automatic promotion spot.
Crysencio Summerville has stood out as a key performer for Farke’s galvanised group over recent weeks, helping himself to six goals and four assists from 13 appearances in all competitions.
The sensational Dutch talent spearheaded his side to a recent comprehensive victory over Darren Moore’s Huddersfield Town off his own back, Leeds’ number 10 scoring twice at Elland Road and assisting twice in a fantastic 4-1 win.
Summerville would make the opposition defenders on the day look amateur, scared stiff of the winger’s presence whenever he bombed forward.
That said, there’s a former Whites player who is matching Summerville’s impressive goal total in his new surroundings, Billy Sharp impressing out in the United States with LA Galaxy after calling time on his career with Sheffield United.
Billy Sharp’s time at Leeds
Playing for a whole host of EFL clubs – predominantly calling Yorkshire his home with celebrated spells at Doncaster Rovers and the Blades – Sharp also resided in Leeds for a short stint.
The now 37-year-old would get off to the best possible start wearing a Whites strip after a move from Southampton, netting on his debut versus Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season to secure a narrow 1-0 win for his side.
Sharp would, however, only muster up four more goals for Leeds before a £500k move back to boyhood club Sheffield United would materialise – the 5 foot 9 attacker a hero to the Bramall Lane faithful, a temporary source of the odd goal on the contrary at Elland Road.
|
Billy Sharp’s career in England |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Games |
Goals |
|
Reading |
10 |
2 |
|
Rushden & Diamonds |
16 |
9 |
|
Southampton |
18 |
10 |
|
Leeds United |
35 |
5 |
|
Nottingham Forest |
40 |
11 |
|
Scunthorpe United |
93 |
55 |
|
Doncaster Rovers |
102 |
45 |
|
Sheffield United |
377 |
129 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt. |
||
The Sheffield-born striker will see out his career unexpectedly in America now, where the veteran attacker has been terrorising MLS defences with his know-how in front of goal.
Billy Sharp’s numbers this season
Since swapping Sheffield for the United States, Sharp has been in a rich vein of goalscoring form – scoring six times for his new employers in 12 games for LA Galaxy to date, including a hat-trick against Minnesota United to help the Galaxy to a thrilling 4-3 win.
His opening goal in this MLS clash was reminiscent of so many of Sharp’s EFL strikes over the years, instinctively responding to his teammate spurning a chance by seizing the initiative and firing home himself.
The other two goals saw Sharp positioned in the right place at the right time to simply tap home, the former Blades man an instant hero in America.
His effectiveness for Galaxy has dried up in recent weeks – with the 37-year-old showing signs of his age by not scoring for his side in their last six matches – but his blistering start to life in the MLS means he’s still an attacker defenders are apprehensive to face.
Sharp will hope he can find his shooting boots once more, whilst his former club Leeds will pray that they can keep hold of Summerville in January with fears that the Whites could be raided again for their top talents by Premier League poachers.