Marcelo Bielsa put an end to ‘Sunday roast dinners’ with focus on Leeds diets

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa has had such an impact on his players that one has shunned Sunday dinners.

Leeds are hunting a return to the Premier League as they sit second with 12 games of the Championship season remaining.

The Whites have won 20 of their 36 matches and host Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield on Saturday.

Kalvin Phillips is expected to start that match having impressed in midfield this campaign.

But the 24-year-old has had to work hard to become a regular under Bielsa, and has opened up on the sacrifices he has made as Leeds look to get back in the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

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“He taught us to be good players you have to be good athletes as well,” Phillips told The Mirror .

“For me, the diet has been difficult because I’d go out and eat Sunday dinners every week.

“It was very difficult but it’s something you have to do if you want to reach the top.

“Looking back, I think we’re a better team now just because of the experience of going through what we did last year, doing so well and then falling off towards the end.

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“We know it can’t happen again and this club needs to get back to the Premier League.

“I think we’re stronger mentally. The manager is always on at us about mental strength anyway.

“He just comes in and stresses how important it is to be strong mentally, to succeed you have got to go through pain both mentally and physically.”

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Phillips spent the recent win over Middlesbrough on the sidelines due to injury but returned for the victory at Hull.

Though Terriers boss Danny Cowley has questioned Phillips’ fitness ahead of Saturday’s match, saying: “It’s potentially an exciting battle if Kalvin Phillips is fit.

“It’s interesting. The man to man nature of Leeds system against the ball means they create quite a lot of one vs ones.”

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