According to his Wales and parent club teammate Ben Davies, Leeds United centre-back Joe Rodon is enjoying life at Elland Road after joining on loan from Tottenham.
Under Daniel Farke, the Whites had to rely on the loan market in August to complete their squad, with three temporary signings from Premier League clubs.
Joe Rodon and Djed Spence joined from Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur, both looking to showcase their top-flight quality in the second tier after previously moving from the EFL to North London.
Rodon was at the heart of another huge result for Leeds, as they were forced to cling on against a Plymouth side that, given the spread of chances, they should have dispatched much earlier.
Dominating in the air and distributing the ball with ease, Leeds have the best of both worlds with Rodon at centre-half, who is not having any trouble breaking into the side this season.
Ben Davies, a Spurs and Wales teammate, has since spoken about his form at Leeds, emphasizing his joy at seeing Rodon do so well, as well as his enjoyment of his time here (via Wales Online):
“It’s challenging. People sometimes forget how difficult it is to move somewhere and then have to move again every nine months. But he appears to have found himself a home in Leeds.
“Joe is a fantastic player.” When I play with him for Wales, he is always very solid and good on the ball, and I believe we have a good understanding. It makes me very happy to see him succeed at Leeds.
“Joe is one of my best football friends, so we talk all the time.” He is the type of player who, when he feels valued and is getting a good run of games, is a really, really good defender, and I believe he is demonstrating that right now.”
Fans have been calling for Rodon to be given a permanent contract since his debut in August, and his recent form has only served to reinforce that view at Elland Road.
It was revealed last week by Phil Hay on The Square Ball podcast that Spurs set a £15million asking price when Leeds first made contact to bring in Rodon, and with his contract approaching the end of the season in 24/25, he represents someone who will only become more of a bargain in the new year and beyond.
What we’re seeing now is that the Welshman is clearly overjoyed to be here at a club that recognizes his undeniable talent, which was not the case at his parent club.
If Davies is saying this, it’s pretty clear that Leeds have a player who would jump at the chance to sign a long-term contract.
It’s a huge relief to know that’s the case, especially if we get promoted this season and know a key part of that is staying – an immediate improvement on our previous return to the top flight when we failed to sign Ben White.
