Leeds United's Adam Forshaw opens up over negative impact of social media in football

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has opened up over the pitfalls of social media within the game and the negative impact it can have.

The Whites midfielder has been sidelined with a hip injury in recent weeks, last making an appearance for Marcelo Bielsa’s men in late September in a Championship defeat at Charlton Athletic.

United sit third in the league table after the opening sixteen games of the campaign with Leeds level on points with second-placed Preston North End and just two points behind early pacesetters West Bromwich Albion.

The Whites are preparing to return to action with a double header in the coming days as they make the trip to Luton Town on Saturday before a mid-week clash at Reading.

Forshaw, though, is continuing to battle his way back to full fitness and has discussed the use of social media within professional football.

The former Middlesbrough man also revealed he has now taken a step away from using certain platforms having decided there is “more bad than good” to be had from using them to engage with supporters.

“Now it’s zero,” Forshaw said of his social media use.

“I’ve got an open Instagram account that I’ve only just had in the last year or so. Instagram in general is pretty okay. But I used to have Twitter when I was younger when I first signed for Brentford.

“It was pretty rosy at Brentford with us doing so well, I never really faced much adversity or anything.

“Since then in years gone by when you’re there to be shot at a bit more in the Premier League I was guilty for it. When I got home I’d be checking for comments and there could be a thousand good things and two bad ones.

“And then I’d think have those two got a point? I don’t know whether it is the natural side of you but at times it would affect you. It would stick in your mind.

“Now I’m maybe a bit more experienced and I’ve got a young lad and a family, deep down I know if I’ve played well or I haven’t. I don’t really need somebody else to tell me on Twitter.

“With the greatest respect if Marcelo Bielsa is picking you every week then you know if you’re doing well enough or not. I don’t focus on it at all anymore in terms of Twitter. It’s a shame, I know a lot of players are like that now.

“They get to a point where they just think there is more bad than good in it for you now.”

Asked about whether he had encountered any issues with teammates since joining the ranks at Elland Road, he said: “There’s times where someone will mention something because someone has said something that’s quite abusive.

“The lads will come together and put their arm around them but I think we’re in a group where people probably don’t want to admit that you look at what people are saying about you.

“They don’t want to show any sign of weakness. It’s just the man in you isn’t it.

“It is what it is. Fans are entitled to say what they want really but people can overstep the line sometimes and just forget that you are a person and it does matter to us.”