Daniel Farke reveals Leeds United academy graduate’s Elland Road complaint and future question
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The experienced full-back supposedly joked with his manager about the lack of a terrace chant, compared to new signing and Japan international Ao Tanaka, who has been bestowed with a song despite having only arrived last month.
Byram, 31, came through Leeds’ Thorp Arch academy before graduating into the first-team setup over a decade ago, playing 143 times over the course of four seasons. He subsequently moved to West Ham United, then onto Norwich City where he first worked under Farke.
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Hide AdThe defender has struggled with injuries ever since leaving Elland Road and found himself without a club last summer before being offered a trial at his boyhood club. Byram subsequently signed an initial one-year deal on the eve of the 2023/24 season, playing a supplementary role at full-back throughout the campaign, ultimately earning a second year in his second Elland Road stint.
Ahead of this weekend’s Championship fixture against Cardiff City, Farke revealed in his pre-match press conference that Byram had joked about his lack of a chant.
“With Sam, I can tell you a little story, he was complaining a bit the other day: he is an academy product, he has played even ten years ago for this club, he is right now the second year with us. He said, ‘Boss, I’m from this region, I’m a lifelong Leeds supporter, I’ve played so many years already for this club and you know what, Ao Tanaka comes in, after two days he already has three songs, I have no song’.
“So, let’s change this, I think this would help us to extend the contract perhaps,” Farke added, responding to a question about future contract decisions.
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Hide AdByram and fellow Leeds full-back Junior Firpo will, as things stand, see their Elland Road deals expire at the end of the season. Farke admitted he had not considered the possibility of an extension for either player yet due to the length of time between now and their expiry, in addition to the stresses of the summer window in which there were greater priorities.
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