Connor Roberts stated that the return of Garry Monk to Elland Road as Middlesbrough manager in 2017 was one of the initial events that sowed the seeds of Leeds United in his mind.
Convinced that Leeds United was the right fit for him, Connor Roberts made several trips back to Elland Road with colleagues who had rejected him. Roberts was on the field when Daniel James returned two weeks after his unsuccessful 2019 transfer, and when Garry Monk made his first appearance since departing in 2017.
The journey with Middlesbrough under Monk, in November 2017, was actually his Championship debut. Roberts witnessed a wild group of Leeds supporters extending a special welcome to Monk on a sweltering afternoon.
By the time James was forced to return, Roberts had solidified his place in Graham Potter’s inner circle after Huw Jenkins decided to call off his Swansea City exit. Naturally, James, who was totally innocent in the canceled trade, had to put up with all of the lighthearted jabs from a fan base that was fed up with deadline day.
These encounters made Roberts certain that he would seize the opportunity to play for the Whites if it ever presented itself.
“I couldn’t pinpoint it precisely, but some of you may recall that I made my league debut in the Championship here for Middlesbrough the first time I ever played,” he remarked. It was Garry Monk’s first game back here when we played.
As soon as I started, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Of course, it was my first time playing in a championship game at Elland Road and returning with Garry Monk. I thought, “This is amazing,” and I played for Swansea [alongside] DJ when he initially declined to sign and then returned.
It’s a huge club, and success at one of these sizes is even more noteworthy due to the scale of the organization, the number of supporters, and all the other factors involved.
The 28-year-old refrained from rehashing the tired “I’ve been a fan of my new club all my life” line, but he did say he has told many players about his passion in United over the years.
“Many say, ‘I was a Leeds supporter and I’d love to play for Leeds,'” he remarked. “Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a Leeds supporter, but ever since I started playing football and saw Elland Road and what Leeds represents, I can honestly say that I’ve told a lot of players that I’d love to play for Leeds.”
I like to get into scraps every now and again, so a lot of players have said, ‘Yes, you definitely are a Leeds player as well.'”
