Daniel Farke says Joel Piroe has crucial role to play for Leeds

Leeds boss Daniel Farke has described out-of-favour Joel Piroe as “the best finisher I’ve ever worked with” and says the striker has a crucial role to play this season.

Farke paid tribute to Piroe before Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off against Tottenham at Elland Road having left the Dutchman out of his side’s previous four starting line-ups.

Piroe’s 19 league goals helped fire Leeds to promotion last season, earning him the Sky Bet Championship’s Golden Boot, but he did not even make Farke’s squad for last month’s defeat at Fulham.

“Of course, it’s tough, especially when you have a player like Joel, who is giving everything, who has worked on his fitness level a lot, who is a top-class character,” Farke said.

“For me, he’s the best finisher I’ve ever worked with and there’s been some good finishers.

“If you want to have a player with the ball in front of his feet 20 yards out, then I would always go for Joel Piroe because he’s an unbelievable finisher and in these terms, really world class.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has emerged as Leeds’ first-choice striker, while Farke has given fellow summer signing Lukas Nmecha the nod off the bench ahead of Piroe in recent matches.

“Sometimes different skills are asked for,” Farke said. “In the last (few) games, it was bit more than a few other skills that we needed in order to be effective as a team.

“And of course, it’s difficult because we won’t, can’t take it out of him (Piroe) to become a completely different player and I don’t want this because I want him exactly this way.

“He’s more a player who’s not like the physical target striker, where you play balls into him and he holds the ball. He’s smart in his movements when there is a bit more space.

“He can also play as a number 10. Sometimes he can play behind one striker, who creates a bit space, and then he goes into the holes and finishes.

“I’m 100 per cent sure that during the season the skills and the strength of Joel Piroe will be needed, definitely.”

Farke also described Piroe as a “top professional”, adding: “I’m pretty sure that we will see him on many occasions on the pitch and hopefully he can deliver.”

Leeds will bid to extend their unbeaten home league record to 24 matches on Saturday against Tottenham.

Farke’s side last lost a league game at Elland Road in September last year – 1-0 against Burnley – while a third Premier League win of the season could lift them into the top half of the table.

Tottenham, who have won five of their last six encounters with Leeds, sit fourth after last week’s 1-1 home draw against Wolves and drew 2-2 in Norway against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday in the Champions League.