Leeds United star addresses goal celebration conflict ahead of Championship return at Swansea City

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A Leeds star has addressed a potential goal celebration conflict.

One of Leeds United's former Swansea City men admits he would have conflicting emotions on Sunday if he found the back of the net.

Last season when the Whites trounced Luke Williams' men 4-0 they were in the midst of a purple patch. It was a seventh straight victory to begin 2024 and they would not lose in the league until April.

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A Willy Gnonto brace and goals from Crysencio Summerville and Joel Piroe did the damage in Wales but it was how the latter's strike was celebrated that rankled most with the home support.

Swans fans took umbrage with Piroe's delighted celebrations, perhaps expecting something a little more muted from a player who scored 46 goals in 96 appearances for their club in a spectacular two-year stint.

When Dan James scored in the reverse fixture at Elland Road, his celebration was not an explosion of ecstacy and nor was it apologetic. It was somewhere in the middle. His feelings about his old club go a long way to explaining why.

"I've got a lot of respect for Swansea," he told the YEP. "They picked me up when I was a scholar and I had great times there. I went from a boy to a man there, the years from 16 to 21 are the most important and really define who you are as a player but also a person. I made great friends there, I owe the academy staff a lot."

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Although a January 2019 deadline day move from Swansea to Leeds United broke down in dramatic circumstances, James eventually got his switch to Elland Road in August 2021 when Manchester United sold him to the Whites for a fee in the region of £25m.

Since then he has made 95 appearances, scoring 19 goals and setting up another dozen. His performances last season in the Championship did wonders for his popularity with supporters and he has continued in a similar vein in the current campaign, despite some hamstring problems.

Having returned from international duty with Wales, James spoke to the YEP for this week's Inside Elland Road newsletter, in an interview that touched on topics ranging from Raphinha to Marcelo Bielsa to his current television fix and dressing room personality insights.

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But ahead of a return to South Wales this weekend as the Championship resumes, James was taken back to November 2023 when he fired in the third goal in Leeds' 3-1 win over Swansea. Doing similar at the ground he once graced in another white shirt would give him a little inner conflict.

"When we played them at home I scored in the first half and I was a bit gutted it didn't count because it was a bit offside," he said. "I scored later on and I think with everything going on you kind of forget.

“If I did score it would be hard for me to celebrate but obviously inside you're buzzing. I haven't been there for a long time, but I still respect the club a lot and what they do."

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