Illan Meslier admits it 'wasn't fun' under previous Leeds United coach but remains grateful for experience

Meslier was promoted to first-choice goalkeeper at Elland Road by veteran coach Bielsa during the summer of 2020 and since then has rarely been out of the side. The French goalkeeper usurped Kiko Casilla for the No. 1 shirt and has subsequently held off challenges from Kristoffer Klaesson and Joel Robles for his starting berth.

Under Bielsa, Meslier was among the youngest goalkeepers across Europe’s top five leagues, and the player himself regards his time under the Argentine as beneficial on the whole – but not always enjoyable.

Speaking whilst on France Under-21 duty this month, Meslier said: “Fun? I don't know, I don't think so.

"When you have the result with you, it's alright because you know that is working, so it's okay. I have big respect for him.

"But when it's not working it's very, very difficult for ourselves because we give a lot of effort but we don't receive results, so it's difficult.”

Bielsa was sacked in February last year after a run which saw Leeds concede 20 goals in a single calendar month. The revered coach had guided Leeds back into the top flight after a 16-year exile from the Premier League and left a considerable imprint on the club, which lasts to this day according to Meslier.

"I remember Marcelo asked us, the goalkeepers, to play in some area on the pitch, sometimes with full-back, sometimes with wingers, sometimes in the movement with the midfielder, so our [passing] accuracy was very high. And we had a lot of pressure on the training [pitch] because he wasn't happy if the ball didn't arrive right in the feet of the midfielder for example.

“The pressure of Marcelo to put on our shoulders was high but helped me for example to be better with my feet, because if I miss, for example, a kick, I knew that we can receive a counter-attack.

"I had to be in the right moment, timing [the pass] right into my midfielder, for my full-back,” he added.