Jaka Bijol

Bijol's route to centre back through defensive midfield gives him an instinct most defenders never develop, spotting where the next pass is going rather than only watching the ball in front of him. That reading of the game lets him step in front of a striker and win the ball before a duel even needs to happen. When the physical battle does happen anyway, he holds his ground well enough that forwards rarely bully him out of position.

The trade off with converted midfielders is sometimes positioning discipline, a habit of drifting out of the back line to chase a loose ball the way he used to further up the pitch. Leeds need him to trust his partner to cover that instinct rather than solving every problem himself. How quickly he settles into a purely defensive role is worth watching.