‘At Leeds’ – Star Picks Former White As Best Played With, Admits Real ‘Surprise’ | OneFootball

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Former Leeds United defender Diego Llorente has revealed ex-Whites star Raphinha surprised him at Elland Road, with the Brazilian the best player he has played with.

The Brazil winger joined the Yorkshire giants in the summer of 2020 from Ligue 1 side Rennes, impressing Whites legend Tony Dorigo quickly.

Raphinha stayed at the Whites for two seasons, contributing to 29 goals in 67 games, but did not stick around beyond the summer of 2022.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur wanted to sign the explosive attacker, who ended up going to La Liga giants Barcelona.

Leeds pocketed a sizeable £55m from his departure and he has kicked on to another level at the Camp Nou.

Raphinha has won three La Liga titles with the Spanish giants, contributing to 161 goals directly in 185 games across all competitions.

The 29-year-old has been on fire this season and has excelled in his new striker role under Hansi Flick, scoring 14 times in only eight games.

Llorente played alongside Raphinha at Leeds and picked the Brazilian out as the best player he has shared the pitch with.

The former Leeds defender admits he did not know Raphinha when the Whites snapped the winger up from French side Rennes and was surprised by what he did.

“I remember, for example, Raphinha at Leeds”, Llorente told Spanish broadcaster 101TV Sevilla when he was asked who is the best player he played with.

“He’s a player who surprised me at first because I didn’t have him on my radar.

“I didn’t really know him and then, not just with the ball, but also his off the ball stats, how much he runs, the runs he makes defensively.”

As things stand, Llorente rates Raphinha so highly that he sees him as a Ballon d’Or candidate.

“I mean, I think he’s a very, very complete footballer and currently, well, for me he’d be a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.

“Beyond the results and the trophies, I think he is one of the best players in the league right now.”

Llorente also plays in the Spanish top-flight for Real Betis and will face his ex-team-mate Raphinha on 17th October when Barcelona play Los Verdiblancos.

He played 38 games together with the Brazil international at Elland Road and the time shared at Leeds continues to leave an impression on Llorente.