Leeds United’s Joël Piroe has pledged his international allegiance to Suriname after representing the Netherlands at youth level.
The striker has been speaking to Voetbal International to explain his reasoning behind the change.
He also talked about his situation at Leeds United. Last season, Piroe scored 19 goals and contributed seven assists in the Championship winning campaign.
The 26-year-old was excited to feature in the Premier League but hasn’t managed to shine this season. He’s played 203 minutes from 10 league matches and is yet to manage a goal or an assist.
Daniel Farke has favoured Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of Piroe to lead his side’s attack. The 28-year-old Englishman joined Leeds United on a free transfer and has nine goals and an assist this season.
VI wanted to know whether the former PSV Eindhoven man still has Farke’s confidence.
Responding to that, he said: “I’m struggling, of course. Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived last summer and is currently enjoying a period of scoring a huge number of goals. That’s impressive, especially after the years he’s had.
“You’re both teammates and competitors, and it’s good for the team that he’s performing like this. Thanks in part to him, we’re coming off a seven-match unbeaten run.
“I’ll have to be patient. I feel like I’m definitely not far off getting more minutes. But it’s sometimes difficult to convince someone to give you more chances. To show that you’re taking the right steps.”
15-goal Leeds target now difficult
The Netherlands born striker had earlier targeted scoring 15 goals for Leeds United this season. VI told him it’ll be tough considering he’s yet to open his account. The player isn’t willing to give up yet.
“Well, let’s start with one for now. But I have no doubt: once that first one is in, more will quickly follow. Of course, it all depends on your team’s objectives, your playing style,” Piroe explained.
Leeds United exit not on agenda
Last year, he talked about his desire to return to PSV Eindhoven at some point in the future.
His immediate plan is to continue at Leeds United, where he’s desperate for more minutes under Farke. Piroe largely dismissed an exit when asked whether he’s considering leaving the Whites in January.
“Honestly, that’s not on the cards right now. You never know, what if an opportunity arises that you can’t say no to? But personally, I’m not really keen on making a move this winter. Especially because the season is still relatively short and there’s little time to adapt elsewhere. That would be very difficult, I think,” he added.
“If I have to make a transfer, I’d rather join during pre-season and get fully prepared for a new adventure. [laughing] After the World Cup, so to speak. But I’m not thinking about leaving right now. I still want and can be of value to Leeds and contribute to staying out of the relegation zone.”