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Juventus and United States men’s national team midfielder Weston McKennie unloaded on former club Leeds United for misusing him during an ill-fated loan spell last season.\u00a0McKennie blamed club management, playing time and a Leeds fanbase that turned against him for his disappointing spell at Elland Road, which ended with the club relegated from the\u00a0Premier League\u00a0just months after the American joined.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t help that when I got there, I went there because of Jesse Marsch. And then two weeks after I got there he was sacked,” McKennie said on the “American Dream” podcast. “I had four different managers in six months. One of my coaches, honestly I don’t think he even knew who I was. If a player is coming in on loan, you should know your squad. He put me outside the box for corner kicks. And in my head I’m like, ‘I’ve scored like 85% of my goals in my career off set pieces and crosses.'”<\/p>\n
Regarding how Leeds’ schedule affected his play, he added: “Honestly, I don’t think my physical fitness was the best because I was so used to being at Juventus and playing every three days. Game fitness is way different than training fitness for me. I become game fit by playing games. I can’t really replicate game fitness at training. You can try, you can do as much as you can to make it feel like a game, but I can’t do that playing one game a week. I didn’t feel like I was in the best physical shape in terms of being able to last maybe a 90-minute game.”<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> McKennie made 19 appearances for Leeds in the Premier League after finalizing a short-term loan deal in the January transfer window. He scored once and assisted once. At times, he was criticised for being overeager to dive into challenges, as he picked up seven yellow cards.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old admitted he hated his position, wanting to venture forward more than his coaches would allow. He noticed when Leeds fans became “very much against” him as he struggled to adjust to added defensive responsibilities.<\/p>\n “Tyler [Adams] got injured, so it forced me to play the six role,” he said. “I don’t see myself as a six, because I like to attack and defend and if you’re telling me like, ‘Just stay here, don’t go in the box,’ I’m not the best with that because I need to be free to exert my energy. So I think it just didn’t pan out the way I thought.<\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n “They’re very vocal, but that can go either way. They can be vocal for you or against you. And towards the end, it was very much against me.”<\/p>\n McKennie returned to Juventus after his Leeds loan and has made three Serie A appearances in 2023-24. There had been a time when the Turin club appeared done with him, but Massimiliano Allegri has changed his mind and now views the player as an asset.<\/p>\n “McKennie is becoming reliable, I am happy with how he is training,” Allegri said. “It’s important for him to remain focused for the entire season.”<\/p>\n
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