Sam Byram turned down offers from foreign clubs to make a return to Leeds United and Elland Road this summer.
Sam Byram has disclosed that he rejected offers from overseas teams to rejoin Leeds United this summer. The full-back, who was out of contract with Norwich, returned to Leeds for a trial before ultimately signing a 12-month deal to come back after an absence of seven years.
Speaking on the club’s official podcast on October 11, he mentioned that he had multiple offers, including some from abroad, but Leeds became more appealing, and he opted to return to Yorkshire.
Byram explained, “There was certainly no guarantee. I’d had some injury issues at Norwich, I was a free agent, and I hadn’t received many offers, to be honest. There was interest from a few clubs, including a couple of options from abroad. I was just waiting to see what the next step would be. I had put in a lot of work on my fitness and extra training over the summer, so I felt like I was in good shape fitness-wise. Then, I received a message from the boss and his staff, saying, ‘You’re a free agent, you know the club, and we’ve worked together before. Do you want to come and train with us?'”
With many players departing Elland Road during the summer, particularly in defensive positions, it was crucial for our recruitment to be spot on, and Daniel Farke has achieved that. He brought in Joe Rodon on loan along with Djed Spence, while Charlie Cresswell was given a contract extension for long-term security. Byram arrived on a free transfer.
Rodon has become an integral part of the starting lineup in central defense, and Spence is likely to be the first-choice right-back once he recovers from injury. Byram has also played a significant role, being versatile enough to play both left-back and right-back. His contributions have been crucial to our successful start to the season, thanks to his drive, experience, and reliability.
Although he signed a short-term contract, if he maintains his current form for the remainder of the season, there’s no reason he couldn’t secure a longer deal extending beyond the summer. He appears content to be at the club, and the club is pleased to have him.
