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Brenden Aaronson at Leeds United: American signing is exciting supporters with his high-intensity approach

Brenden Aaronson looks like one of the signings of the summer and the Leeds United supporters are already liking this American boy. Adam Bate speaks to the player’s former coaches to find out what makes the 21-year-old midfielder so good…

Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson
Image: Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson is a firm favourite with supporters already

Leeds were well beaten by Brentford on Saturday but the opposition coach Thomas Frank still had praise for one man. “Aaronson. What a player. What a player. That is a top buy for Leeds.” Even in defeat, Brenden Aaronson continues to impress.

This article was first published prior to the football postponements following the death of The Queen.

The supporters at Elland Road have certainly embraced him - the newest chant in his honour is to the tune of American Boy - and why would they not? He is exactly the sort of player supporters love, his energy epitomised by his goal in the win over Chelsea.

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Edouard Mendy's error allowed Brenden Aaronson to score for Leeds against Chelsea.

Edouard Mendy hesitated but Aaronson did not. He rushed the goalkeeper and sent the Leeds crowd wild with delight. It was one of the moments of the season and not just for them. Aaronson's old coach Stephen Hogan loved it just as much. "Every time we watch Brenden we are yelling at the TV," Hogan tells Sky Sports.

"I would not be surprised if the goalkeeper was thinking, 'He is on me already.' But that is his game. Everything he does is forward. He is on the half turn and it is front foot all the time. You are not going to get away with anything with him in terms of pressing moments.

"He might get beaten every so often just because he is going in so fast but his second quality is his adjustment of the feet to press again. He is explosive over those ten yards. If you beat him, he is coming back at you right away. He does not stop.

"It is very refreshing to watch."

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Hogan coached Aaronson when he was making his first steps in senior football as a 16-year-old boy with Bethlehem Steel, the feeder side for Philadelphia Union. The Irishman was the assistant to Brendan Burke. Both men recall that extraordinary appetite.

"He did not miss a beat," Burke tells Sky Sports. "Even though he probably weighed 100 pounds soaking wet at the time."

Everyone has to start somewhere but Aaronson's first appearance against Tampa Bay Rowdies feels particularly tough. It was 2017 and he came in alongside fellow 16-year-old Michael Pellegrino. In the opposition midfield was former England star Joe Cole.

"We were not expecting anything out of the game because we were playing two 16-year-olds," says Hogan. "We were like, 'What is going to happen here?' But we got a draw. Joe Cole walked into the locker room after the game and said he was phenomenal."

Burke remembers it well. "Brenden was a sponge," he adds. "He just soaked up everything but always with a smile on his face. He was just there to play and he had real exposure from a young age. The physicality was an adjustment but he is such a tough kid."

Aaronson proved that in another game for Bethlehem Steel against FC Cincinnati. The physical challenge facing the slight teenager was underlined when he suffered a broken collarbone in a clash with an opponent who appeared to be twice his size.

"This guy was 6'4" and 200 pounds and Brenden did not hesitate at all," says Burke. "He was coming off the field and you would expect him to be upset. I went up to see him as they were taking him off and he just said, 'Get me back on, I just want to play.'"

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brentford’s win against Leeds in the Premier League

A perceived lack of physicality helps to explain why Aaronson did not feature that regularly for the United States age-group sides. "His IQ is out of this world and the willingness was always there, he was just physically a late developer," explains Burke.

"He was always good on the ball. He was just a small kid so it took a little while. Once he started to adjust to how quickly spaces close down, I think that really accelerated his development and he was smart enough to adjust to anything thrown at him."

Hogan never doubted the potential. "He was tiny. A very skinny kid. But he was always special. Everyone knew he had the feet and he had the brain. That got faster as he got older. That is when he got going. We did not expect him to stay at Philly long and he didn't."

Philadelphia's Brenden Aaronson (22) moves the ball up the field during the MLS match between Philadelphia Union and Atlanta United FC on March 17th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
Image: Brenden Aaronson in action for Philadelphia Union in the 2019 season

Earnie Stewart, the sporting director at Philadelphia Union, was soon explaining that Aaronson's time with Bethlehem Steel was up. At 18, in 2019, he was fast-tracked into the MLS team. "That proved to be one hell of a decision," acknowledges Burke.

He was included in the senior international squad before the end of that season but his rise has been measured. There was interest from bigger clubs when he opted for Red Bull Salzburg but it was another calculated move to maximise his development.

Aaronson's family, including soccer-coach father Rusty, have been supportive. "They are all very humble," says Hogan. Younger brother Paxten now plays for Union and is a real talent. He has the skills but perhaps not quite the pressing game of his elder sibling just yet.

It was this quality as much as any goals or assists that persuaded Leeds to bring him to the Premier League. Aaronson can set the tone for a team with his closing down and he has the fitness levels to do it again and again. Few players stay on the move like he does.

Brenden Aaronson ranks among those players with the highest average speed in the Premier League this season

The stats show he ranks third for the highest average speed in the Premier League. "The running is not going to be an issue," says Hogan. "He is in the top one per cent in the world for that, consistent running and consistent sprinting. That is not going to bother him."

It allows Leeds to win the ball in advanced areas. "When you have those defensive qualities that high up the field you cannot take him off, you cannot not play him. You build the rest of the forward line around him. Which is scary to say when he is not even 22."

Aaronson's future is difficult to predict, in part because of this flexibility. United States head coach Gregg Berhalter could use him from the left at the World Cup. Jesse Marsch is deploying him from the right for Leeds. A central role might be his long-term position.

"Anywhere in the front three behind the nine he could play easily," says Hogan. "I would like to see him play as a 10 and just explode but it is probably those positions wide right or wide left in a 4-2-3-1 that would be his best positions right now."

Brenden Aaronson's heatmap for Leeds United

Burke adds: "I think he can play anywhere underneath the forwards or even as a false nine if the situation presented itself. Given his intelligence level, technical ability and willingness to work I think he could be kind of like a modern 10 that will help you press the ball.

"I can see why Jesse went for him. They line up because they are both hyper-intelligent people with a similar mindset. Brenden will only get stronger. He is only 21. I actually think he could develop into a proper 10. He will pop in that league, it is just a matter of time."

Expect his old coaches to be cheering him on.

"I send him a note once in a while but it is just support at this point," says Burke. "We are just proud of him," adds Hogan. "If someone said that we developed him, I would say, yeah, we were part of his development for three years but he did it all himself. He wanted this more than anything and he has done it. I am just a fan now."

The number of Brenden Aaronson fans is growing all the time.

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