Leeds United teen gunning for first-team football opens up on Elland Road mentor’s sage advice

Joseph arrived from Espanyol for an undisclosed fee almost 12 months ago as an 18-year-old with a growing reputation in his native Spain, and after a tricky period bedding into Leeds’ Under-23 side last season, has established himself as a sharpshooter for the Under-21s in 2022/23.

Subsequently, head coach Jesse Marsch has promoted Joseph to the first-team bench on occasion and even chose the youngster from the start in Leeds’ recent Carabao Cup defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 19-year-old also made his Premier League debut in the same week, coming off the bench away to Tottenham Hotspur.

With 12 goals to his name at junior level this season, Joseph’s form in front of goal hasn’t gone unnoticed, by those on the terraces or in the offices at Thorp Arch. The Spaniard was named alongside the first-team squad for this week’s warm weather training camp at Oliva Nova Sports Centre in Valencia, and spoke to journalists after his most recent senior outing, against Elche in the Trofeo Festa d’Elx friendly match which Leeds won 2-1.

"Personally for me, one of the most important things is the confidence in a player. So like, [since] the first game of the league I’ve been scoring goals and that's great for a striker for the confidence to keep going,” Joseph said.

"I think training with the first-team every day and having breakfast with them and everything gets you got confidence. So games like Tottenham, one of the best teams in the world, you have the confidence already and you want to play, so I think maybe you feel nervous when you’re coming in, but I was like looking forward to it and [to] make an impact.”

Joseph certainly made an impression off the bench against Elche at Estadio Martinez Valero, setting off on a mazy run from the halfway line and making his way into the penalty area before his industrious running was snuffed out. The teenager has caught the eye with his finishing in training during the team’s week abroad, too. Outings versus Wolves and Spurs are unlikely to be his last this season.

"He can help me because he's the same position as me,” Joseph added, discussing teammate and current top goalscorer Rodrigo Moreno. “He can help me with stuff for example, when a long ball is coming to bump in [to a defender] just before the ball’s come in, things like that, the small details that he can tell me because he's a really good striker and I'm looking forward to listen to every piece of advice because I want to improve.”