'Old-school attitude' and a 'perfect role model': Daniel Farke on Leeds United loan defender Joe Rodon

By each passing week, Joe Rodon is winning more friends and influencing more people at Leeds United, who are in receipt of a classy centre-half who represents two-for-the-price-of-one in many respects.

The Welsh international is busy earning rave reviews during his season-long loan at Elland Road with the 26-year-old following up his fine performance when he held the backline together against Middlesbrough with another consummate display in the weekend victory over Blackburn Rovers.

His organisational qualities alongside his acumen in the back four are increasingly coming to the fore - with Rodon being a player who clearly takes great pride and enjoyment in defending.

Should Leeds secure promotion back to the Premier League, then there is a fair chance that they will be keen to turn Rodon’s loan from Tottenham Hotspur into a permanent arrangement - he has 18 months left of his deal in North London.

That’s for the future, with Rodon focusing on the here and now with Leeds.

United chief Daniel Farke, whose promotion-chasing side welcome Coventry City to Elland Road on Saturday after Tuesday’s game at Sunderland, said: "What I like about him is that he has an old-school attitude, but he’s a perfect role model of a modern defender as well.

"Because he is quick and good on the ball and you can defend with him on the high line.

"He also has good body language and leadership and it is also a topic we have worked on a bit since the beginning of the season.

"He has grown more and more into this role and he leads from the backline.

"I am pretty pleased that we have him and it was the same 30 years ago and it will be the same in 20 years that the first thing you have to do as a defender is defend really properly.

"This is what he is doing and so far, so good and if he goes on in this way, we will all be pretty happy."