‘I Convinced Him’ – Former Leeds United Supremo Makes Crysencio Summerville Claim | OneFootball

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Former Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has claimed that he convinced Crysencio Summerville to remain at the club after a difficult first season at Elland Road.

A graduate of Feyenoord’s academy, the Dutch winger spent the early part of his career in his homeland before completing a move to Leeds United in 2020 and the Whites were told they had landed a top talent.

The European Under-17 champion arrived at Elland Road during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure in the Premier League, but did not make a single senior appearance in his debut campaign.

Instead, he featured predominantly for the Under-21s, producing an impressive return of six goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances for the Whites.

Those performances paved the way for his Premier League debut the following season and, across spells with Leeds and West Ham United, whom he joined in 2024, he has since made 84 appearances in the English top flight.

Following the Irons’ relegation last season, the 24-year-old has attracted significant interest, with Roma said to be closing in on a deal for the winger.

Radrizzani looked back on Summerville’s early days at Leeds, describing him as a level-headed and dedicated player who initially found it difficult to adapt to life in English football.

The former Leeds president revealed that the winger had asked to leave during his first season because of limited first-team opportunities but was convinced to remain and continue his development with the reserve side.

He added that the 24-year-old’s breakthrough eventually came against Liverpool in the 2022/23 season, where he scored a dramatic late winner before going on to flourish under Bielsa.

Radrizzani told Italian radio station Retesport: “I know Summerville very well; I’ve always had a strong, friendly bond with him.

“He’s a fantastic guy, level-headed and very focused.

“He joined us at a very young age from Feyenoord for about €1.5m.

“At first, he struggled a bit, as is often the case with young players adapting to English football.

“I remember that in his first year he asked to be transferred because he wasn’t getting much playing time; I convinced him to stay with the reserve team and promised him a different solution if he didn’t get playing time.

“In November, he started against Liverpool and scored a goal; under Bielsa, he was able to develop quickly.”

Leeds United’s pre-season tour of the United States gets under way this weekend, with new signings in line to make their club debuts, including Harry Wilson, who has already been tipped to be a cracking addition.

Tarik Muharemovic, who arrived from Sassuolo following an impressive World Cup, will also be eager to make his first appearance under Daniel Farke.

The Whites open their tour against Wrexham in Tampa on Sunday before facing Liverpool and Sunderland to round off their three-match schedule.