Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
Leeds United winger Dan James says losing teenage midfielder Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur this summer was 'gutting' but retaining the services of fellow Welsh international Joe Rodon helped to soften the blow.
The 26-year-old spoke to Leeds' in-house channel LUTV following the commencement of this summer's pre-season schedule at Thorp Arch reflecting on the £40 million transfer which saw Gray join Spurs earlier this month.
In a separate move which was concluded at the same time, Rodon returned to Elland Road for £10 million and has signed a long-term contract which runs until the summer of 2028.
Advertisement
Hide Ad
Advertisement
Hide Ad
Sign up to our Leeds United newsletter
Sign up
Thank you for signing up!
Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Yorkshire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later.
Submitting...
James' own deal has two years left to run but could be in line for an extension if Leeds are promoted back to the Premier League at the end of this season. He scored 13 times for the Whites last term and is expected to play a prominent role in the team's 2024/25 campaign having initially joined the club in the summer of 2021 for a reported £25 million from Manchester United.
Speaking to LUTV, James said: "I think it's great we've signed Joe very, very early in the window.
"I think a lot of people, fans especially, would have been gutted if we didn't keep Joe. Obviously it's gutting to see Archie go but we wish him all the best.
"He [Rodon] was a massive part of our team last year, we had a great defensive record and he was a massive part to do with that. So to get him in, it's such a positive signing for us."