Ronaldo Vieira opens up over Leeds United exit following Sampdoria switch

The 20-year-old made the switch to Italy in July despite very much being involved in Marcelo Bielsa's first-team plans in LS11 for the current campaign.

Vieira, who joined the club from the i2i Academy in York following a trial at Thorp Arch in 2016, made 63 senior appearances during a two-year spell before sealing a £7.7m move to the Serie A side.

The midfielder has made four appearances for Sampdoria this season as he adjusts to life in Italy's top flight and following his transfer Bielsa admitted he'd lost a good player.

“He (Vieira) was a player involved in the project,” Bielsa said in August. “The club decided to sell him and I adapt to this decision. I can’t say he is not a good player. He is a good player. If Sampdoria bought Ronaldo it indicates he is a good player."

Vieira though says he holds no grudge against the Whites and admits he is still supporting the club from afar, telling FourFourTwo: "The move was quite quick. They just came with an offer and that’s what happens - when the club receives a good offer, they accept it.

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"I was willing and open to it, so everything went smoothly. I have no bad feelings about Leeds; I’m grateful for what they've done for me, and I think I improved a lot as a player and became more mature there, so I thank them.

"I’m still supporting them now.”

Asked how he was adapting to life in Serie A following his move from West Yorkshire, Vieira replied: "The Championship is a bit more physical and here it’s a bit more tactical, so I’ve been trying to work with the coach who's trying to help me improve my game.

"I’ve been learning a lot about the way the team wants to play. [Giampaolo] wants me to take risks with some passes, try and break through teams, play it forward as much as I can."