Leeds United defender issues firm future statement and Daniel Farke ‘DNA’ assessment

The quiet man of the Whites dressing room, Struijk went away with his family seeking mental silence this summer. Last season brought another 29 Premier League appearances to go with the 56 he already had to his name but it was not the campaign he hoped for, or even a step forward in terms of his personal progression.

Left-back was where the Ajax-trained centre-half made 22 of those appearances, out of necessity thanks to the injury and form issues suffered by Junior Firpo. Despite some solid outings initially as a full-back, Struijk too encountered a rocky patch and appeared shy of confidence as he and Leeds fell out of the Premier League.

"I mean, at the end it was getting a little bit hard you know," he said.

"It was nice to get away with family and then at the end [of the break] a little bit of working again. But basically it was good for me to get away after a difficult season and just relax my mind to go completely silent and and focus for what's coming.

"Over the summer, I try not to think about football because that's not the time when I want to be thinking about football, when I'm enjoying with my family. So for me, it took a little while [to get over relegation]. But I mean we have to get back to it at one point because we can't feel sorry for ourselves for what happened and then try and make a change for the future."

Since he broke into the Leeds side initially under Marcelo Bielsa, Struijk has worked with six permanent or interim managers and the way last season went individually and collectively might have sown a seed of doubt over his Elland Road future.

The defender insists that was never the case.

"I mean, my contract isn't till 2027 so I'm always ready to come back and then give my all for this club," he said.

"So yes [I was always going to stay]."

What he has returned to at Thorp Arch in pre-season is a new era. Leeds are under new ownership since 49ers Enterprises bought the club from Andrea Radrizzani. The side is under new management in the form of Farke and his staff. What it looks like, in football terms, is to Struijk's liking so far.

At York on Saturday he played right sided centre-back and Leeds played the passing football that their German boss is known for.

"Since he's come in he's been very direct, very open and showing signs of football that I like personally and I think it's been good so far," said Struijk.

"We've played three games now and I think the football we're playing is good. We just need to improve some little things, but that's what pre-season is for.

"You grow up to play football. I always want to have the ball and play with it. It's not necessarily for me and in my DNA to just play it long and see, then just defend. I think as a kid you grow up to play with the ball and not just defend. I'm happy with the way we're doing it right now."

Promotion is what Struijk seeks this season, not only for the club but for himself. And beyond that, a return to the upward curve his career was taking most noticeably under Bielsa.

"I think I had a decent start at the beginning last season and then at the end went a little bit downhill but I feel like if I can continue on a growing trajectory, to improve basically, in everything - I feel like I've said it every season but I feel like it's the truth," he said.

"I need to practice on multiple things. I want to be better, because the better I get I mean, the better player you are.

"Overall I feel like my time at Leeds has been good, in an upwards trajectory. At the end of last season it was a little bit hard to maintain, I feel like I went in a bit of a dip but what career just goes upwards? It's just a part of my journey so far and all I can do is get better from it."