Former Oxford United manager Michael Appleton has claimed that Kemar Roofe was so good for his side that Premier League clubs could have snapped him up before Leeds United managed to.
Roofe, 25, has been in top form for the Whites this season, scoring four goals and supplying two assists in seven appearances across all competitions.
The former West Brom attacker moved to Elland Road in 2016 off the back of a brilliant promotion-winning season with Oxford in League Two.
And Appleton has claimed that his form in League Two could have seen Roofe return to the Premier League if it wasn’t for his switch to Leeds.
“I actually wouldn’t have been surprised at the time if a Premier League team had taken him,” Appleton told Sky Sports. “He was that good for us.”
OPINION
Roofe has not shown it in his first couple of seasons at Elland Road, but the 25-year-old is finally starting to show that he is capable of playing in the Premier League. Maybe he could do it with Leeds next season, or maybe if he continues his form a top-flight club will become interested in signing him up. Either way, Leeds are extremely lucky to have someone who is in such good form at the moment and hopefully it continues throughout the rest of the season because Roofe’s form is more crucial than ever with Patrick Bamford’s injury. The summer signing is out for four months with a knee injury and with little strength in depth in attack, Roofe needs to stay fit and stay on top of his form. With four goals in the bag already, it is likely that he could be Leeds’ top scorer come the end of the season. Will he be able to match what Chris Wood did before he was signed by Burnley and win the Championship’s golden boot award?