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A couple of names Leeds United supporters will be desperate to forget have been speaking about us of late.
Just a few weeks ago, our former manager Jesse Marsch was involved in a bizarre back-and-forth with a supporter on social media. The American also took an unprovoked swipe at the much-loved Marcelo Bielsa.
Now, one of Marsch’s signings has opened up about his torrid time in West Yorkshire during the one season he played for Leeds.
The player in question is Rasmus Kristensen. It’s fair to say the defender wasn’t too keen on the time he spent at Elland Road.
Rasmus Kristensen left “broken” after playing for Leeds
Kristensen, now 29, signed for the Whites back in 2022 for around £10million from Red Bull Salzburg.
The Danish right-back looked destined to be our successor to Luke Ayling. But it quickly became apparent that Kristensen was absolutely miles off the level required.
Ultimately, the defender made 26 Premier League appearances during the 2022/23 campaign as part of our pitiful backline as we were relegated.
Despite his performances being a large contributing factor in us going down, Kristensen couldn’t wait to leave. He initially spent a year on loan at Roma before joining Frankfurt on loan. The German outfit then foolishly signed him in a deal reportedly worth as much as £7.7million.
After just one more year in Germany, he returned to his home country this summer to play for FC Midtjylland.
However, in a recent interview with Ajax Life, former Ajax player Kristensen opened up about his struggles whilst he was at Leeds.
“I suffered from stress and depression. After that season, I was completely broken. I always saw myself only as a footballer.
“When I walked through the city or sat in a restaurant, I worried about training or the next match. If you do that, you become mentally exhausted.”
However, Kristensen also did not have good memories when reflecting on his time as a Roma player either.
“Rome was beautiful, but as a footballer, I found no joy there. Wherever I played, I felt pressure. Football is a religion in Italy – even more so than in Leeds and Amsterdam.”
Kristensen’s mindset has since changed. The full-back stated that becoming a father has now helped him put football in perspective.
Leeds now have a right back we can be proud of
Whilst at Leeds, Kristensen would be seen frequently trudging back with little urgency as his winger often glided past him effortlessly.
This is rather ironic when you consider that Kristensen said he “puts 100 per cent effort in every time I’m on the pitch and I’ll die with my boots on,” just after signing for us. After watching him for a season, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Fast forward to 2026, and we have a right-back in Jayden Bogle who we can be proud of. The Englishman works tirelessly up and down that right flank. If he continues to impress for United, it will only be a matter of time before he is called up to his country.
Whilst Kristensen fled West Yorkshire at the first chance he got, Bogle committed his future to United over the summer after an impressive campaign.
The gap between the pair is enormous. When you think back to how bad Kristensen was for us, it just makes you even more grateful that we have Bogle instead.
