Noah Okafor Reflects on Pre-Season Comeback with Leeds United

Noah Okafor needed only a handful of minutes to remember how it feels.

The Leeds United forward stepped onto the pitch for his first pre-season action on Wednesday against Manchester United, shaking off the rust after a delayed return from international duty with Switzerland.

He had been back in training for just a week, granted extra time off after his country’s run to the quarter-finals of this summer’s World Cup. The body rested. The mind less so.

“It was amazing to be back with the team on the pitch,” Okafor told BBC Radio Leeds, the relief clear in his words. “I was really happy to be back and now we just have to keep building, working and looking forward day by day.”

It wasn’t a long cameo, but it was enough to remind him of his rhythm.

“That’s the game I play, the game I used to play,” he said of his brief outing. “I need a few more days to work on my fitness... then when it starts I am ready.”

If pre-season offers a clean slate, the World Cup still lingers in the background for Okafor. Not as a highlight, but as a frustration.

He featured for only 19 minutes at the tournament, coming on as a substitute, and did not hide his disappointment.

“The World Cup was not so good for me because I didn’t play so much. The coach didn’t let me play, I don’t know why because I did really great,” he explained. “I came with a lot of confidence, I did an amazing season but in the end he just decides like this.”

That chapter, he insists, is closed. The focus is now firmly on Leeds and the season ahead.

“Now I keep it to the side so just focus on Leeds,” he said. “Give every day 100% in training and this season help the team again like last season.”

Last season, he delivered eight goals and one assist in 28 Premier League appearances, a solid return for a player still adjusting to the pace and power of English football. That adaptation period, he believes, is over.

“I am even more hungry than last season,” Okafor said. “I adapted more in the Premier League and adapted to the team. The most important thing is to stay healthy and fit, keep every day with a smile and try to help the team with goals and assists.”

The minutes against Manchester United were only a start. The message from Okafor is that he expects his real statement to come when the whistle blows for the new campaign.