Leeds United's Mateusz Klich walks tightrope between confidence and caution, daydreaming and realism

The Polish international has a solid grasp of reality, a sense of humour, interests outside the game and will happily and freely speak his mind, much like he does on the pitch as Championship referees will attest.

But when tonight’s warm-ups are complete and Klich sits back down in the Elland Road dressing room for the final 20 minutes before kick-off against Barnsley, he will be listening.

Marcelo Bielsa will deliver his final tactical and motivational messages, captain Liam Cooper will have his say, leaders like Luke Ayling and Barry Douglas might have something to contribute and then the Whites will assemble behind Cooper, walk down the tunnel and attempt to take another step towards a place in both history and the Premier League.

The very real, almost tangible potential to become a player in what he counts as the ‘best league in the world’ has been a source of amusement for Klich lately.

“Recently I talked with some of my friends and I was laughing,” he said.

“I started my journey abroad in the Bundesliga and didn’t have a game with Wolfsburg. Now I might end up in the Premier League, it would be a nice journey for me.

“I would describe it as football – you never know.

“A couple of years back, if you had told me I could be in the Premier League I would have said you were crazy probably.

“In football everything is possible, I hope my dream comes true and not only mine but everyone else’s.

“I’m very happy, very proud because behind the scenes there is a lot of hard work, dedication. I didn’t give up on Leeds and Leeds didn’t give up on me.

“I was very close to leaving the club and I might finish in the Premier League with two full seasons of the Championship playing every game.”

Klich’s midweek video call with the local press wasn’t all top-flight daydreaming and what-ifs. One of the reasons the club entrust Klich with interviews at important times in the season is that he walks that tightrope between confidence and caution. There is still a job to be done, points to be won and a head coach who will continue to demand excellence and chase the top spot, even if Leeds secure promotion before the final game.

The dream isn’t distracting Leeds, it’s driving them.

“We’re not there yet,” said Klich.

“Everyone knows what the goal is and knows we’re very close to it. The next game is going to be massive, they’re playing for their lives, we’re playing for our lives, the Premier League would be life-changing for all of us.

“Especially after the win at Swansea, a very hard place to go and after winning against Stoke 5-0, there’s a lot of confidence. The boys are very focused on the job, everyone wants to play in the Premier League.”

Klich himself pointed out he could have easily trotted out the usual pre-game cliches about focus and left it there, but one of the reasons the press appreciate the 30-year-old being entrusted with interviews at important times in the season is that he’s honest.

Focus doesn’t come particularly easy when the very thing you’ve worked for two years to achieve is not only in sight but within touching distance.

And there is more to consider than what this game means to Leeds.

Bottom side Barnsley will make the short journey up the M1 to Elland Road with their own dream – Championship survival – just about alive and barely kicking.

Beating Leeds at any time of the season would be enough to spur on a fellow Yorkshire club, but with so much at stake for both sides, it’s a derby game on steroids.

“Everyone knows [promotion is] very close,” said Klich.

“It’s difficult to be focused, we’re not stupid, we see the table.

“Obviously it’s not finished yet, the Barnsley game will not be easy, Barnsley have to win the game and that’s going to motivate them, it’s a derby as well. They can score goals.

“We’re top of the table, we’re very excited but we need to be ready for the game.”

As much as the midfielder would relish an open, end-to-end game to suit Leeds’ attacking football, he anticipates the usual Elland Road fare, against a team who will ‘wait for mistakes and counter attack’.

Barnsley will be hoping that the Whites’ fear of repeating last season’s ending will be present in the home side’s play and they can exploit and magnify it to get a result that would threaten to turn Klich’s dream into a nightmare.

Klich has just the right amount of confidence that things will be different.

Lessons of the most hurtful kind have been learned and the pain has given way to determination, desire and dreaming.

“I think nobody wants the same ending of the season as last season,” he said.

“Everyone wants to finish better. Last season was painful but it’s all gone, it’s a new season and everyone wants to go to the Premier League. Same team, same players, we learn from our mistakes.

“When I arrived at Leeds I don’t think we were ready then.

“But we’re ready now.”