Leeds United loanee Jay-Roy Grot speaks out after Holland call

There was no pretending that he coped well with the Championship or with life in England last season and Grot’s own comments hinted at a bout of homesickness but Leeds were prepared to see if time back in Holland would help him reach a higher level of confidence.

Grot, a £750,000 signing from NEC Nijmegen in the 2017, left United for VVV-Venlo in July and has settled back into the Dutch Eredivisie quickly. The 20-year-old has made 11 appearances and scored twice for a team who are fifth in the county’s top flight.

Holland had capped him at Under-20 level before his transfer to Leeds but last week he was named for the first time in their Under-21 squad. The Dutch play Germany in a friendly on Friday and Grot was due to meet with the squad in Zeist today with a view to earning his debut for that age group.

“I was hoping I would be selected but I never assumed that I would,” he said. “Then you're more happy that you're in.

“I'm getting a bit of the jitters because I'm going to play with new players and get another coach but I like it a lot.”

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Grot’s contract at Elland Road runs to 2021 and Leeds decided to release him on loan after a difficult first season in which he struggled for form and was targeted by sections of United’s crowd.

He later admitted to feeling isolated in England but insisted the move had not been a failure.

“People will say I’ve had a lost year but that’s not how I see it,” Grot said. “I’ve experienced and learned a lot.

“Leeds didn’t give me a four-year contract for nothing. They saw a future in me and they still see that. The technical director (Victor Orta, United’s director of football) has emphasised this again.

“At VVV I want to show myself, help the team with goals and assists, and from there return more strongly at Leeds. I want to play in the Premier League.”