Jaka Bijol earns Slovenia call-up as ninth Leeds player’s season extends | OneFootball

Jaka Bijol has been named in Slovenia’s squad for June friendlies, becoming the ninth Leeds United first-team player called up and extending his campaign.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, Slovenia host Cyprus in Ljubljana on the fourth of June, then travel to Croatia on the seventh.

Slovenia missed out on the 2026 World Cup in November, losing 2-0 to Kosovo before drawing 1-1 with Gabriel Gudmundsson’s Sweden.

The 27-year-old joined from Udinese for £15 million last summer, waited until late October for his Premier League debut, then became a fixture under Daniel Farke, missing only five league games thereafter.

He made 25 Premier League appearances, scored with a thumping header against Chelsea in November and provided two assists. Farke’s switch to a back three suited him, anchoring between Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk.

Bijol has described it as an amazing season, saying he enjoyed every moment, felt supported when he was not playing, and was pleased to contribute while praising his team-mates.

Elsewhere in the squad, four head across the Atlantic for this summer’s major tournament, with Brenden Aaronson in the USA group for a home World Cup, Gabriel Gudmundsson with Sweden, Ao Tanaka with Japan and Noah Okafor with Switzerland.

Bijol is among five involved only in friendlies. Karl Darlow, Ethan Ampadu, Daniel James and Rodon have been called up by Wales for meetings with Ghana and Romania.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk