Leeds United star issues strong goalscoring message and demands Whites action after break

United's record signing Rodrigo began the current season by netting four goals in his side's first three games, propelling the Whites to third place in the very early table. Three months later, the 31-year-old Brazilian-born Spanish international has done it again but actually bettered his early haul by weighing in with five goals in United's last four games.

Two of those strikes helped Jesse Marsch's side to victories, Rodrigo netting the opening goal in both a superb 2-1 win at Liverpool and then repeating the trick in an epic 4-3 success at home to Bournemouth in which Leeds found themselves 3-1 down.

But the forward's strike in last month's home fixture against Fulham and brace in Saturday's clash at Tottenham Hotspur ultimately counted for nothing and Rodrigo has signalled a clear and strong message as Leeds head into the World Cup break.

"Of course I am very happy for scoring goals," said Rodrigo on the back of the weekend's defeat at Tottenham to LUTV. “But for me, the only thing that really matters in football is to win. So who cares about two goals if we come back to Leeds with nothing. That's how I think and we have to work hard again and try to win the games and manage these situations better."

Leeds led three times in Saturday's fixture at Spurs but ultimately fell to a 4-3 defeat as Rodrigo Bentancur bagged a late brace with strikes in the 81st and 83rd minute. The reverse left Marsch's side 15th in the Premier League table and just two points clear of the drop zone but with a game in hand.

Rodrigo, who now has nine goals for the season, sits joint-fourth in the Premier League's top goal scorer charts alongside Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic. The duo are only one behind Brentford's Ivan Toney and three adrift of Tottenham's England international captain Harry Kane. Manchester City's Erling Haaland is six clear in pole position having already netted 18 times.

Leeds will return to Premier League action with the home clash against defending champions and odds-on title favourites Manchester City on the evening of Wednesday, December 28 in an 8pm kick-off.

The game was initially scheduled as a Boxing Day fixture but was moved for live broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. Leeds have also arranged a friendly at home to La Liga highflyers Real Sociedad to take place in a 7.45pm kick-off on Friday, December 16.

Whites trio Rasmus Kristensen, Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams are all representing the Whites at the World Cup in Qatar, Kristensen part of the Denmark squad as Aaronson and Adams bid for glory with a USA side in the same group as England and Wales in addition to Iran.