Leeds are brewing their own Wayne Rooney in star who’s a “major talent”

Leeds United will be hoping to fight their way into the top two in the Championship when they play host to Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites have drawn three of their last five games in the division and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 0-0 draw at Bristol City last time out.

Largie Ramazani missed out through injury and the other forwards in the team failed to step up to score the goals for Daniel Farke, as Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James were selected on the flanks in his absence.

Scoring goals has not been a major issue for the West Yorkshire outfit this season, though, as they have found the back of the net 19 times in 12 games.

Only Sunderland (23) and Norwich City (22) have scored more goals than Farke’s side, which shows that he has created a potent and exciting attack at Elland Road.

They are now preparing to take on a Plymouth side that are currently one place above the relegation zone and have conceded 22 times in 12 games.

Their head coach, though, certainly knows a thing or two about scoring goals, as they are managed by former Premier League icon Wayne Rooney.

Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring records

The former Derby County and Birmingham boss enjoyed a stunning career and established himself as a legend for both Manchester United and England.

He did hold the record for the most goals in England history, with 53 goals in 120 caps, but has since been overtaken by Harry Kane’s haul of 68 goals in 100 caps, which shows that the forward was an elite goalscorer at international level.

During his time with Manchester United, Rooney racked up a staggering 253 goals and 139 assists in 559 matches in all competitions for the Red Devils.

The English ace, who played as a centre-forward or a second striker for the majority of his playing career, consistently provided quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Along with plenty of goals and assists, Rooney also collected his fair share of trophies throughout his career. He won five Premier League titles, one Champions League, four League Cups, and one FA Cup with United.

Whilst he may not go on to achieve the amazing success that Rooney did at club and international level, Leeds have an emerging talent brewing who could be their own version of the England legend in Mateo Joseph.

Mateo Joseph’s academy form for Leeds

The Spanish striker, who previously played for England at youth level before declaring for Spain, joined the Whites in January 2022 from Espanyol’s academy.

He had a slow start to life in the country, with a return of two goals in 11 academy matches, in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign before hitting his stride in his first full season with Leeds.

In the 2022/22 term, Joseph caught the eye with a superb return of 16 goals and two assists in 21 appearances in the Premier League 2 for the U21 side as a centre-forward.

He showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at youth level in the academy for Leeds and earned himself three Premier League appearances off the bench for the first-team that term, as Leeds were relegated to the Championship.

U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed him as a “wonderful” player and a “major talent” after his performances for Spain and Leeds at U21 level, with four goals in four caps for Spain’s U21s, after a return of three goals in ten matches for England’s U20s.

His form for club and country at youth level earned him a chance in the senior squad under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign, and he showed promise in his limited minutes on the pitch.

All 20 of his appearances in the Championship last season came as a substitute, scoring one goal in that time, but he did score twice at Stamford Bridge as a starter against Premier League giants Chelsea in the FA Cup.

This term, however, Joseph has emerged as a genuine starting-calibre centre-forward for Leeds and is emerging as a huge prospect for the club, at the age of 21.

Mateo Joseph’s form this season

The Whites have their own version of Rooney brewing at Thorp Arch as the 21-year-old sensation has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Championship.

Like the England legend, Joseph is a powerful and aggressive striker who likes to hold the ball up and get involved in play, by holding off defenders and finding teammates with passes, whilst also scoring goals.

Whilst he does not have the bulky build that Rooney was known for, the clip below illustrates how well the academy graduate uses his body to get the better of experienced defenders.

That was one of the two goals that the Spanish youth international has plundered for the West Yorkshire outfit in the Championship this season, to add to the one he managed last term.

Whilst he has not been a prolific scorer at senior level, yet, his aforementioned form for the academy suggests that the potential is there for him to eventually develop into a lethal goalscorer for Leeds.

As you can see in the table above, Joseph has also showcased his creative quality in a Whites shirt this season in the Championship, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts.

This shows that the attacker is unselfish and looks to constantly get other players involved in the final third, hence why he has already registered three assists in the second tier.

Joseph, therefore, has the potential to develop into a complete centre-forward due to his pace, physicality, goalscoring potential, and creative quality, with plenty of time for him to fulfill his potential at the age of 21.

This is why Leeds may have their own version of Rooney brewing in Yorkshire, ahead of the legendary forward’s trip to Elland Road on Saturday.