Joel Piroe and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are two of the three first-team strikers for Daniel Farke at Leeds United in 2025/26.
Daniel Farke believes Joel Piroe is the best finisher he’s seen but the Leeds United top scorer of last season remains in the periphery after starting the first two games of the league season.
Some Leeds fans think Piroe will perform in the Premier League this year, but Lukas Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin are also strikers at the club to consider. Despite all being fairly tall, Piroe is vastly different as a profile from the other two.
He may have the finishing touch over the Englishman, but Farke has started the former Everton striker in the last four games now. That doesn’t look likely to change, even if Calvert-Lewin is frustrated at himself behind the scenes.
Graham Smyth defends Dominic Calvert-Lewin vs Joel Piroe decision at Leeds United
Graham Smyth has spoken to the Inside Elland Road Podcast and said: “I think there’s almost a bit of a conundrum here in that I saw somebody saying Piroe should be given a chance which, to me, is utter madness.
“If you play Piroe instead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Leeds do not get half the chances that are being created at the minute. The reason that Leeds are getting these chances — a lot of them is because Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a focal point.
“He’s a platform. He’s a battering ram against centre-backs. He’s winning the first ball or he’s doing enough that Leeds can win the second ball. Because the defender hasn’t had a comfortable free header or he’s laying the ball off. He’s bringing people into play, he’s running in behind, he’s stretching the defence.
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“All of these things he’s doing, and I can I know that people will be saying he needs to score goals; he does need to score goals as well. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. And that’s the other thing that that he and Leeds need to remember.
“It’s that you are going to be in a relegation battle. You cannot spurn really good chances all season and expect to get away with it because it that’s not how you stay up. You do have to take your chances.
“But again, without Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the team, are Leeds even getting these chances? Are they are they even playing that far up the pitch? And, in a lot of cases, I’m going to say no — they’re not.
“I just don’t see Joel Piroe being able to battle with centre-backs the way that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is. I think he’s been massive for the way Leeds have been playing. And I think you have to persist with him. I think you have to accept the rough with the smooth a little bit.
“But, at the same time, you hope and you expect that he’ll start to tuck them away and that he’ll end in at least double figures because he’s a number-nine. He’s been paid a great deal of money. He’s got double figure seasons in the Premier League before.
“Leeds need him to do that. So there is an expectation, but again you have to accept that, if he was capable of scoring two in every Premier League game and all the rest of the work that he does, he’s not playing for Leeds United this season.”
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty ImagesJoel Piroe’s Premier League and Netherlands ambition
Piroe wants to play for Leeds and wants to shine in the Premier League. He said: “For me, the priority is still club football at the moment and international football would be a bonus.
“I don’t want to say too much about whether I think it’s right or wrong that my name is mentioned more now. When you play in the Championship, you know that you’re not looked at as much.
“But, of course, it’s nice to hear that you’re not forgotten. I think that if I show myself in the Premier League, they can’t ignore me anymore.”
The Dutchman has not been capped for his country yet, but no player has scored more Championship goals (73) since his first season in English football back in 2021. Adam Armstrong is second with 55 in that time.