Daniel Farke’s eccentric Keira Knightley quote offers Leeds United fans insight as manager news imminent

Farke’s arrival is expected to be announced later today following positive talks with the club’s hierarchy as the Whites aim to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking this season.

The 46-year-old will arrive with two Championship promotions already under his belt, as well as coaching experience in Germany’s top flight with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Leeds’ supporters can expect the occasional soundbite from Farke throughout the 2023/24 season, owing to previous responses to questions from his time at Carrow Road.

While many managers of sizeable clubs prefer to keep their cards close to their chest, Farke has been known to be somewhat forthcoming with his answers. On one occasion, the German responded to claims of complacency within his Norwich team by comparing the Championship to a date with Hollywood actress Keira Knightley.

“We are not carried away. I feel it is the other way around. We have to value what we are doing right now a bit more. Maybe this is a bad example but imagine one of my young players and the most beautiful girl in their town asks them for a date to go to the cinema,” he began.

"The player would be buzzing and excited and ask his mother to iron his clothes. Maybe go to the hairdresser for a haircut and buy some flowers and get ready for the greatest day of his life.

"But if this young guy was already with, let’s say Keira Knightley, he might say ‘that is nice but a new haircut is expensive, the cinema is busy and I am bit too lazy to buy flowers. I will probably stay on the sofa and watch a game of football.’

"You are not excited any more. We are not Liverpool or Manchester City. We are not too good for this league. We cannot expect to blow teams away 4-0, 5-0. It is amazing we are producing late winners and dominating games so much. Our equaliser against Rotherham the other day, if that was two years ago, the build up would have been compared to Barcelona. Meanwhile, we are speaking about we rely on own goals."

Press conferences at Elland Road have rarely been dull affairs over the past couple of seasons with the ever-so-unpredictable Marcelo Bielsa in the chair, swiftly followed by the communicative Jesse Marsch. Sam Allardyce made headlines towards the end of last season when comparing himself to Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, too.