Leeds United
EXCLUSSIVE: Leeds United Gave Fitness Update Of Their Important Star
Sam Byram is back for more – and back with changes ahead of his second season back with the Whites.
Former Leeds Academy graduate Byram returned to his former home last summer, signing a one-year deal with the Whites upon his release from Norwich City where his progress was halted by injury troubles.
Twelve months later, Byram is back for more, the Whites having exercised the option to extend the defender’s contract by a further year as Leeds look to bounce back from May’s heart-breaking play-off final defeat to Southampton.
Byram was an unused substitute for the play-off final but made 37 appearances for Leeds last term, coming through over 2,251 minutes of football.
Whites boss Daniel Farke, who also managed Byram at Norwich, regularly stated the need to carefully manage the defender’s minutes yet Byram was still able to feature heavily for a side who had to settle for a third-placed finish despite amassing 90 points.
The bid for promotion then went all the way to a Wembley play-off final, defeat in which Byram admitted was “kick in the teeth.”
Leeds, though, and Byram are now back for more and the defender says he now feels even fitter than at the same stage last year and hungrier than ever for success.
Speaking after his outing in Friday night’s friendly at Harrogate Town. Byram was asked if he felt fitter now and more able of lasting the season than he did months ago.
The defender declared: “Yeah. I have put a lot of work in this summer and the previous summer before I came.
“I think the game has moved on where you relax over summer and you don’t do a right lot.
“You have to come back on the first day of the season as fit or as close to as fit as you did at the end of the season.
“As you get older you get more experienced and you know that you want to keep that sharpness, keep that freshness.
“Obviously the play-off final was a kick in the teeth. I think everyone needed a couple of weeks to gather their thoughts, gather the energy back and then once that had passed I was hungrier than ever to get my fitness back. I am excited to be back.”
Reflecting on Friday’s outing at Harrogate, the full back reasoned: “I am feeling good. It’s the third week back now, the first game back at a stadium with the fans in, more fitness in the tank, more match minutes which is obviously very important with the season coming up thick and fast.
“It’s a chance to work on some patterns of play and build the fitness and head to Germany all feeling fit and ready.”
