A Leeds United defender on the competition to start and his personal game.

Leeds United centre-back Nico Elvedi has hailed the competition for a starting place in Daniel Farke’s side, saluting the overall quality in the squad with a personal game assessment.

Versatile Swiss international defender Elvedi joined Leeds from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, the 30-year-old named on the bench for United’s first game of the new Premier League season at Nottingham Forest and an unused substitute in the 1-0 victory.

Elvedi was then handed a full debut in the Carabao Cup clash at Forest just three days later in which he played the full duration of a 2-0 victory before dropping back to the bench for United’s first home game of the new Premier League season against Brentford.

Elvedi, though, was called for after just 34 minutes as Joe Rodon suffered a hamstring injury, the Swiss defender the first port of call with James Justin playing at left back as Gabi Gudmundsson only made the bench upon returning from injury.

For the latest Whites news, sign up for the YEP’s free Leeds newsletter.

Gudmundsson then returned to the starting line up for United’s next game at Brighton but Elvedi and Justin were selected as the two other centre-backs to partner Tarik Muharemovic as Jaka Bijol instead dropped to the bench.

Boss Farke has stuck with the three-man centre-back axis of Justin, Elvedi and Muharemovic since, Bijol restricted to just four minutes off the bench in the last three league games in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Rodon, meanwhile, is himself now inching towards a return from injury.

Elvedi, though, says the competition for a starting place is helping to lift his own game, the Swiss defender saluting the quality of centre-backs at Leeds and believing his own international exploits have helped him adapt quickly to Premier League football.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Elvedi was asked about the competition for a centre-back berth - if it was friendly or quite competitive.

"I think we have very good players in this position”

"Of course in football it's friendly but of course in football everybody wants to play,” said the Swiss defender.

"I think we have very good players in this position and for me it helps when you have good players and you can improve a lot.

"Of course I am happy now that I play but of course the other players they also want to play."

Asked why he had been able to settle in so well, Elvedi reasoned: “We talked a little bit about this before and I think also the international games that I had with Switzerland or with Gladbach in the Champions League or the Europa League.

"This helps me a lot, that I play against big players against big teams and I think that's why I cam play in the Premier League as well."