Tough Love Works – Daniel Farke Makes Admission On Leeds United Star | OneFootball

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has revealed that he has given some ‘tough love’ to Joe Rodon to improve his attacking outfit, which he described as one of his biggest achievements at Elland Road.

The Whites initially loaned in the Wales international from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2023/24 season and in the summer of 2024 they signed him permanently for £10m.

Rodon has been a stellar presence in the heart of Leeds’ defence, as he has played in 105 games for the Yorkshire outfit.

Earlier this week, he scored a headed goal against Belgium in a World Cup qualifier for Wales, which his nation ended up losing, but Farke stressed that he pushed Rodon to improve that aspect of his game.

The Leeds boss revealed that he pushed Rodon to develop his attacking headers every day and every week in training sessions, which he pointed out as one of his biggest achievements at the club.

Farke admitted that he has been strict with Rodon as he has given him some ‘tough love’, but he expressed his delight that it worked.

“That is one of my achievements here in my reign, [something that] I am most proud of from all that I have achieved here”, the Leeds boss told a press conference (35:40).

“From the first day when Joe Rodon walked in, I told him, listen, I won’t allow this – such a guy who is so strong in defensive headers, who is so good with heading, look at your goal record.

“1,000 games in senior level and nine goals! I won’t work with you anymore; I won’t start you if you don’t improve this.

“I am on it every day, each training week, so he has to take so many offensive headers.

“I’m still not 100 per cent happy with his outcome, but it seems it works.

“So, sometimes, tough love and being strict works – he is improving a lot, for us, for Wales, I am happy with it.

“He is developing more and more to become a goal threat, and this is what you have to do.”

Rodon, so far, has scored only three goals at club level; two of them have come for Leeds, and the other goal came when he was on loan at Ligue 1 side Rennes from Spurs.

This season, Rodon scored a Premier League goal against Bournemouth last month in a 2-2 draw, and it remains to be seen if he will be able to add another goal against Burnley on Saturday.