Diouf looking to help Leeds return to Premiership

El Hadji Diouf is tipping Leeds for a return to the Premier League next season after signing a deal to keep him at Elland Road until the New Year.

Diouf has been at Leeds since early August on a non-contract basis and he finally put pen to paper on a short-term deal following Leeds enthralling 3-3 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road, in a game where he scored his first goal for the club.

The 31 year old says the draw of playing at such a big club as Leeds, the welcome he has received from the fans and the challenge of helping return Leeds to the Premier League that made him choose Leeds ahead of other clubs that were keen to sign him. Speaking on LUTV, Diouf said, "I feel great because I am happy to sign for one of the biggest teams in England and in the world, so I am very happy.

"I didn`t expect to have the crowd welcome me like that. I have to say thank you very much to the crowd and the fans for the welcome to this football club.

"I got a better offer somewhere else but the challenge at Leeds United is big and wonderful and hopefully we will be in the Premier League next season.

"If we can get Leeds into the Premier League next season it will be amazing.

"We can definitely finish in the top six, why not in the top two. We just have to keep working hard and we will see, there are plenty of games still to go."

Diouf was making his sixth appearance for the club and his third start in a row against one of his former clubs.

He spent last season with Doncaster Rovers following his release by Blackburn on transfer deadline day. He signed an eighteen month deal with Rovers in February but a clause in his contract released him from that deal following the clubs relegation from the championship at the end of last season.

Having missed most of pre-season, Diouf says he is still not fully fit but is hoping to catch up in the next few weeks during the international break. "I am not yet fully fit. I just need to continue to train and work hard and I will keep going. The gaffer and the staff are going to help me and I am hoping to be fully fit in about two weeks,"
Leeds now have no game until the trip to Cardiff City on September 15th due to the international programme next weekend.

Leeds trio Aidy White, Ross McCormack and Rodolph Austin are all on international duty over the next ten days with all three players available for their countries two important international matches.






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