Kemar Roofe reflects on Marcelo Bielsa's murderball sessions that were tougher than Leeds United's games

Roofe spent 14 months under Bielsa before leaving the Whites to join Anderlecht in August 2019 with the striker enjoying a fine season under the Leeds head coach and netting 15 goals.

But success, says Roofe, did not come without an awful lot of hard work in training that the striker says was sometimes even more strenuous than league games.

Bielsa is known to conduct so-called murder ball sessions where the ball is immediately thrown straight back into play as part of a very high tempo training game and Roofe has been recalling the tasks faced at Thorp Arch.

"We had some very intense training sessions," said Roofe in an interview with the i.

"There was one session a week where we’d play an 11-a-side game and it was so hard.

"It was harder than the games on a weekend. There’s no walking about. There are no throw-ins. There are no corner kicks.

"The ball’s always in play so you’re having to run non-stop. If you’re not running at your maximum, you’ll get found out.”

Assessing his development as a player under Bielsa, Roofe said: “I learnt a lot from him. He made us see the game differently to everybody else.

"Just the way he does things opened my eyes a lot. Everything was about the fine details of formations and the opposition’s tactics.

"How to combat the opposition’s formation so it will benefit us more. Also, fitness as well. I thought I was fit already but working under him I got even fitter. It’s helped me a lot."

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