Leeds United: New boy Adam Forshaw setting his sights firmly on promotion

Former Everton midfielder Forshaw signed for Leeds on a four-and-a-half year deal from Middlesbrough this evening with the 26-year-old joining the Whites for a deal worth £4.5m.

The midfielder moved to Boro from Wigan Athletic in January 2015 having helped former club Brentford win promotion from League One to the Championship and English football’s biggest promotion of all followed in his first full season at Middlesbrough who finished second in the Championship season of 2015-16.

Forshaw then made 34 appearances in the Premier League last season before finding his opportunities more limited at the Riverside back in the Championship under first boss Garry Monk and then Monk’s successor Tony Pulis.

Boro sit ninth in the Championship table, two places and two points behind Leeds who are only outside of the play-offs on goal difference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Millwall at Elland Road.

The Whites now have 19 more games to seal a place in the play-offs or better still an automatic promotion place and ambitious Forshaw sees no reason why the move to Leeds cannot land him a third promotion of his career.

“There’s every chance,” Forshaw told the YEP. “Everything is in place for the club. There’s some really good players, some young talented players mixed with good experience so I think everything is there for the team to push on now.

“If we can put a good run of games together between now and the end of the season then there’s no reason why not.

“It’s very exciting here. The club is huge, they get so many fans week in, week out and their away support is unbelievable.

“Hopefully the players can repay that to everyone involved in the club and we can really push on and I think we have got every chance, I genuinely do.

“I signed here because I want to get Leeds in the Premier League as well as the other lads do so I think from that point of view we are striving for the same thing.”

Several fellow Championship sides were interested in signing Forshaw, including Cardiff who sit seven points above United in third.

Forshaw, though, admitted the prospect of joining Leeds on a permanent deal was too good to turn down.

“I had a couple of options,” said Forshaw. “I had quite a few on loan and I just knew I needed to play more games this season and as soon as I knew Leeds were interested in a permanent deal it was a bit of a no-brainer for me really, I jumped at the chance. I was pushing my agent in Middlesbrough and fortunately it has gone through now and everything so I can push on now and enjoy my football.”

The midfielder is now immediately available to feature in Saturday’s Championship clash with Millwall at Elland Road and Forshaw is intent on enjoying the perfect start.

“It’s a massive game and from a personal note I want to get off to a winning start and for the club as well,” he said. “There’s some really big games coming up now in quick succession and I think if we can put a good run together now and get some momentum going into the last games of the season then we will stand ourselves in good stead.”