Javi Gracia: Ex-Watford, West Brom and Manchester United star Ben Foster offers encouraging insight into Leeds United's new head coach

The former Watford and Valencia manager has joined the Whites on a “flexible contract” subject to a work permit, with the club hoping he will be at the helm in time for Saturday’s huge Premier League meeting with Southampton.

Gracia has top-flight experience in England with Watford, having spent 18 months at Vicarage Road between January 2018 and September 2019. He led the club to 11th in his only full season and guided them to the 2019 FA Cup final.

Foster was signed by Gracia in the summer of 2018, having had loan spells at the club between 2005 and 2007 during his time with Manchester United. And Foster feels Gracia is the man to keep Leeds in the Premier League after they dropped into the relegation zone with a 1-0 loss at Everton last weekend.

"Everybody really respected him because you could see he was a very, very good coach," said Foster on his The Cycling GK page.

"On the training pitch he was very structured and he took every single training session. He was always in control of it. He was always in the gym making sure everyone was going through their gym work and on the training pitch everything was thought out by himself.

"As a coach, I loved playing for him. Javi never got too carried away with anything. It was never fully gung-ho, it was always about work-rate. Everybody knew their position and if you lost the ball you would have to work hard to get back. I think that is what is going to help Leeds out an awful lot.

"He wants you to get forward, he wants you to create chances but he always wants you to work very hard to get back. I think it is a fantastic signing. He is a top man and he is a top coach. He is the kind of guy Leeds needed at this time to get them to safety."