Mateusz Klich opens up on Middlesbrough offer before joining bigger club Leeds United under Victor Orta

FC Twente's Polish international midfielder Klich was alerted by his manager to interest from the Riversiders towards the end of the 2016-17 campaign which saw Boro relegated from the Premier Division in finishing second bottom and 12 points off safety.

However, Klich says the picture changed after Boro's head of recruitment Victor Orta left the Riversiders before joining Leeds to become United's director of football and followed up his interest in Klich who then joined the Whites from Dutch club Twente in the summer.

Orta was head of recruitment at Boro from December 2015 until May 2017.

Speaking as part of Deliveroo's #Ask series with Leeds United, Klich was asked how his move to Leeds came about and said: "It was quick.

"To be fair, my manager called me and he told me I had got an offer from Middlesbrough because Victor was in Middlesbrough.

"I was at Twente at that time but I said, 'yes, if I get an offer from England then we can consider it.'

"And then he called me to say that the plan had changed and I had got an offer from Leeds United.

"I was even more happy because obviously Middlesbrough was in the Premier League but you knew they were going to go down and I don't want to be disrespectful to Middlesbrough but Leeds is a bigger club.

"I was happy to join Leeds, it was quick, I agreed everything quickly and there weren't really any problems.

"I came for the medical which was also good because I have never had any problems.

"That was quick and I was happy."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor

READ MORE: https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/were-therewithyou-now-your-yep-needs-your-support-too-laura-collins-yep-editor-2521777