WE DON'T WANT TO BE STRUIJK IN PLAY-OFFS

Leeds star only has eyes for automatic promotion

- BY DAVID ANDERSON

FOR Pascal Struijk, it's a no-brainer to admit Leeds are desperate to go up automatically and avoid the play-offs.

Leeds have an awful play-off record, having failed in all six attempts since their first in 1987, and last season's loss to Southampton was their fourth final defeat.

“You don't have to ask me that,” said the Dutch centre-half. “We don't want to play in the play-offs. We all have one target and that's to go up to the Premier League.”

Struijk is Leeds' longest-serving player and knows all about the pain of losing in the play-offs, having been on the bench for the semi-final defeat in 2019 and missing out with a groin injury for Southampton last May (below).