Leeds United defender Sam Byram has said Norwich City ‘left it very late’ to inform him of their plans for him in the summer.
Leeds United brought academy graduate Byram back to the club for a second spell in the summer transfer window. He left the club to join West Ham in January 2016 and over seven years later, the full-back is back at Elland Road.
He’s been a mainstay for Daniel Farke too. The left-back spot has been up for grabs and while Byram is a natural on the right, the 30-year-old has held down the starting spot on the left, managing a goal and an assist in 16 outings across all competitions.
Now, Byram has opened up on his summer exit from Norwich City.
As quoted by The Athletic, the Leeds United defender shared that the Canaries didn’t provide clarity over their plans for him until ‘very late’. He admits it was a ‘strange’ and ‘troubling’ period, saying:
“They left it very late, and not just with me. It was a strange period because I didn’t know where I stood. So yeah, that was definitely a first.
“Now that I’m sat here, playing at Leeds under a manager I know and playing frequently, it’s easy to say I was never worried,” he added.
“But if I’m honest, thinking back to when I didn’t know what I’d be doing this year, it was a bit of a troubling time — one where you’ve got to keep the faith and hope that something crops up.”
Things panned out well
While it was a period of uncertainty for Byram, things have panned out well for the full-back. His time at Norwich City was a tough one with injuries but after returning to former club Leeds United, he’s found regular minutes again and has become a popular figure amongst fans once more.
Time will tell if he can hold down the starting spot at left-back over the course of the season. His early efforts have shown he’s worthy of that spot though, rather than just filling in while others are absent.
The hope will be that Byram can be back in action as soon as possible after missing the Championship clash with Plymouth Argyle prior to the break. Leeds United sit 3rd in the second-tier table as it stands, eight points behind Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the automatic promotion spots.
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