Club moving forward on all fronts as stars like Raphinha shine on international stage - Leeds United Supporters' Trust

The international break often feels like a pause in the momentum of a season, as the excitement of domestic football is put to one side to briefly focus on tournament qualifiers and friendlies.

Without our Yorkshire Pirlo running things in the heart of Gareth Southgate’s England set-up, one of the main points of interest is missing this time around.

And so, on this occasion, it has been Raphinha who has captured the attention of Leeds fans while making his debut for Brazil.

The winger that we know so well at Elland Road has made quite a splash in his first few senior domestic appearances, causing havoc down the right-hand side and creating goal-scoring opportunities for fun.

Even if it does cause stress over just whose attention he might be capturing with those kind of performances, it feels good to see Rapha getting the praise he deserves as the exceptional player we know him to be.

There was a sprinkling of other notable appearances from LUFC names, though. Dan James got himself a goal for Wales in their match against the Czech Republic, Klich picked up an assist with Poland and some of our younger stars – Lewis Bate, Sam Greenwood and Cody Drameh – put in excellent performances for the England Under-20s.

Other Leeds United news this week came in the form of a new club shop opening in Belfast to make it easier for supporters in Northern Ireland to pick up some official LUFC merchandise.

The expansion of Leeds club shops away from Elland Road and Leeds is a good sign of the effect the return to the Premier League has had on the commercial side of our club, and the recognition we are rediscovering worldwide with ‘Bielsaball’ making us a talking point in the Premier League once again.

Closer to home, you may have already caught a peek at our newest mural project in Guiseley which celebrates some of our proudest moments in Leeds United history and the managers who guided us to them.

It should make a great addition to the many mural tours we’ve enjoyed organising and seeing others complete over the last few months.

The murals we’ve been creating at the Trust and those made by other groups are a visible representation of the pride we feel for our club.

The thought of so many Leeds fans going about their daily business and being able to look up at a piece of artwork that pays tribute to their club is an idea we hold dearly and which will continue to motivate us in our future projects.

Adding your own voice to the Trust’s work is easy. Visit our new website at www.lufctrust.com and you can become a member for just £10 per year. Marching on together.