Natural leader Tyler Adams is eager to make himself at home with Leeds United

Tyler Adams is looking forward to chatting with team-mates in his native tongue again, and promising to be a “pest” on the field for Leeds United.

Although the 23-year-old has played at right-back and centre-back, he is primarily a holding midfielder signed from RB Leipzig yesterday to fill a version of the role Kalvin Phillips vacated this week.

Like many of Leeds’s summer signings, he comes with a ready-made relationship with coach Jesse Marsch and a clear understanding of how his compatriot plays the game.

Marsch was not the only familiar face, with Adams’s fellow United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson having joined from Salzburg this summer, but just the fact he is back in an English-speaking club put him at rest.

“Arriving at the training ground I ran into Brenden right away,” said Adams. “I was super-excited to see him just to have an American friend here and both be in the same position, new to the team, both settling in, both fighting for a position and to make an impact on your team-mates.

“I met Junior Firpo who’s a funny guy, and immediately had banter. That’s one of the things I’m really excited about – just to have that banter again, be myself, be able to speak my native language and just get on with the guys.

“I had a great conversation with Jack Harrison, who I’ve played against multiple times (in the winger’s time at New York City). It was good to hear his insight of the club, where to live, things like that.

“Luke Ayling came up to me and we were talking about NFL for a bit and how much he loves it. It made me laugh because these guys are just so similar to me.”

On the field, Adams’s style is less about what he does on the ball than off it compared to Phillips but as well as learning Marsch’s way at New York Red Bulls, where his new coach handed him a senior debut in a friendly against Chelsea as a 16-year-old, he stressed he has evolved under others too.

“I’m more of a more of a pest type of player, just in and around trying to win every ball I can,” explained Adams. “I go for every single ball never shying away from getting stuck in.

“I’m able to catch players and win the ball and then give it to creative guys. That’s a reason I love to play with Brenden – I win the ball, give him the ball and he just goes on his own.

“One of the areas I want to improve on is in that final third, how can I find that final pass and help get the ball to some of the guys that can score in good positions? I need to continue to work on that.

“When (Marsch) took over (at Leeds in February), they were conceding a lot of goals and you’ve got to limit the chances. That’s something I think I can help do. But then we want to be able to win the ball back and play quickly to the goal, score goals, create chances. He was very impressed with that when he came here.

“We’re creating a tonne of chances but we’re giving up a tonne of chances so how do we find a balance? He (Marsch) just doesn’t want to lose that ambition to score goals.”

Ralf Rangnick brought Adams to Europe from New York but others have had an influence too.

“Fortunately for me, I had three great years (at Leipzig) after Ralf with Julian Nagelsmann and Domenico Tedesco,” he added. “They see football in a little bit of a different way so I’ve also had the ability to change my style of play and play the more possession-based and dominant football. I’ve found almost a happy medium. I know when I need to counter-press and I have a good chance of winning the ball and I know in possession to try to create angles and always be an option.”

Having captained his country – who are in England’s group at this winter’s World Cup – Adams has shown qualities which might even see him replace Phillips in Marsch’s “leadership council”.

“Being captain of the national team you learn when you have to lead older guys and help lead younger guys that are fresh in the door,” he said.

“You have to talk to people in different ways, create relationships with different types of people and I just had the opportunity to be myself in every environment I’ve gone to. Naturally, I’ve been a leader with whatever team I played for. That responsibility has never been a problem for me and it’s a role I like.”

Adams is just excited to start after signing a five-year contract.

“We always knew it would be a little bit difficult to come to Leeds just because of the relationship between Leeds and Leipzig (still in a legal dispute over Jean-Kevin Augustin’s 2020 move), but that was always my goal as soon as I heard there was interest,” he acknowledged.

“The signings they’ve made, they mean business this season and that’s super-important.

“Premier League football has just always been attractive to me and I always wanted a way in. When Leeds calls, it’s exciting and the style of play fits me.“

Leeds continue to look for attacking reinforcements, with Brugge striker Charles de Ketelaere thought to be on their shopping list but a few others too. Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Raphinha, who is interesting Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Attacking player Tyler Roberts joined Queens Park Rangers on a season-long loan yesterday.