'Last season was not the easiest for him' - Leeds United boss Daniel Farke on Max Wober's reintegration
It was not long ago that Leeds United supporters believed they had seen the last of Max Wober.
The defender had only been on the club’s books for half a season when he departed on loan alongside a raft of senior players in the summer of 2023.
His season-long loan move to Borussia Mönchengladbach left a sour taste in the mouth for fans and he was not the only one to draw ire.
However, in the 2-0 win over Derby County at the weekend, the Austrian was celebrating with the Elland Road faithful after opening his Whites account.
"Last season was definitely not the easiest for him, away on loan,” said Whites boss Daniel Farke. “Also, at the start of the season, it was just more or less injury after injury.
"Also today, cold start, I think he was also a bit nervous without a warm-up, to come in, but he grew into this game. He was excellent. In terms of giving us defensive stability, but also in terms of going forward, also the goal was a sign of it.”
Wober was called upon after just 21 minutes, entering the fray as a replacement for the injured Junior Firpo.
A centre-back by trade, Wober is a considerably more pragmatic player than Firpo on paper yet gave Leeds a noticeable attacking boost down the left flank.
He posed a threat out wide, embarking on marauding runs without shirking his defensive responsibilities.
After Joe Rodon opened the scoring, Wober doubled the advantage with a tidy close-range finish from a deflected Brenden Aaronson cross.
While there may be some Leeds supporters unwilling to forgive and forget, it was a goal that appeared to chip away at lingering animosity.
"He was greedy to do the run on the first post,” Farke said. “If you do the run, you are also rewarded sometimes with a bit of luck and can celebrate.
"I liked his attitude. He’s a really good lad, good that he came through this 70 minutes of whatever it was. I think it will give him a big boost, also for his confidence, going forwards, I liked Max today.”
With Firpo potentially unavailable for the midweek visit of Middlesbrough, Wober may get the nod from the start.
Sam Byram has previously deputised for Firpo at left-back, although missed the Derby clash through injury. Isaac Schmidt is another option at Farke’s disposal and watched the win over the Rams from the bench.