'I'm a little disappointed' - Jaka Bijol makes candid admission over lack of Leeds United action
A £15m Leeds United signing has spoken openly about his lack of action at Elland Road
Jaka Bijol has conceded he is “a little bit disappointed” with his lack of action at Leeds United.
The 27-year-old defender arrived at Elland Road from Udinese in the summer of 2025 and was a key figure as the Whites avoided relegation from the Premier League last term.
He has not been quite as influential this term, managing just three league starts. Whites boss Daniel Farke has had to do without Joe Rodon of late yet £15m acquisition Bijol has remained on the periphery, with the manager preferring to deploy Tarik Muharemović, Nico Elvedi and James Justin in his three-man defence.
Jaka Bijol’s candid admission
Bijol, who is now away on international duty with Slovenia, told 24ur: “The situation is a bit different than last season. I'm sure I've shown enough this year, so I'm a little disappointed with the whole thing. But that's how it is, you have to accept it.
“Every footballer who doesn't play is unhappy. These are facts and I would be lying if I said anything different. On the other hand, I know that the club is doing well. I'm also happy about that, because this is an exceptional club with exceptional fans who deserve good results.
"I also have to have the right attitude and be right in training. It can happen that everything changes overnight and you're playing the next day. That's when you have to be ready to put in a good performance.”
Competition at centre-back
Rodon is now back from injury and made his return from the bench in Leeds’ 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (November 7).
Bijol may now be the the fifth-choice option and with Leeds’ central defenders in strong form, a pecking order change does not appear imminent.
He said: “In football, you really depend a lot on one person, but that's just the way it is. You have to keep going and working.
“I've always believed that the effort in training and putting everything into your work pays off in the end. So far, this has always happened and I believe it will this time too. Keep your head up and keep working.”
Slovenia will host Switzerland on Friday (November 13) before visiting North Macedonia on Monday (November 16). His club teammate Elvedi could be among those he faces in the meeting with Switzerland.