Friday 18 December 2015 06:53, UK
Steve Evans is hopeful winger Sam Byram will sign a new deal at Elland Road after inspiring Leeds to a 3-2 win at Wolves on Thursday night.
Byram is out contract at the end of the season and has been in dispute with the club over a new deal, but made a surprise return to the starting line-up and scored twice either side of Stuart Dallas' strike after Benik Afobe's 10th-minute opener for the hosts.
Nathan Byrne sparked hopes of a late Wolves fight-back in the 81st minute, but Leeds held on with Evans admitting there was surprise within the dressing room when Byram was restored to the team.
"I have always been a manager to make a decision. I am not a manager afraid to make a decision," he said.
"Young Sam has been good on the training ground for the last two weeks and I said to him that his chance is coming. But he is so good in attacking areas.
"He has to sign a contract. We can't just sit there and say the player controls the football club. We love the kid to bits and I have said before that if he comes home with my daughter I will be quite proud!
"He is such a nice kid that you want him to do well but we want him to commit to his future. As a manager you have to be true to yourself and my eyes were telling me to pick him.
"I want Sam to be at Leeds United more than anything. That is an issue for the boardroom and I am glad he has got a couple of goals tonight.
"He has played really well and everyone in the dressing room is really pleased for him.
"When I told the owner (Massimo Cellino) the team at tea-time today he actually messaged me back and said he hopes Sam Byram gets two goals and is the man of the match."
The defeat extended Wolves' run without a home win to six games and manager Kenny Jackett admitted his side were out-muscled by Leeds.
He said: "Leeds out powered us. We had to withstand the pressure and we didn't. At the start of the second period they had too much power for us.
"Physically, I thought that we looked second best. We needed to defend as a side and we found defending tough.
"Leeds also worked our keeper more than we worked theirs and that was disappointing.
"We came back at the end but we were always chasing the game. We found defending as side to be tough. If you give the goals away like we did then it makes things hard for you.
"We need to rectify what is wrong and the move on. We have to come through this spell."
