SALFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Daniel Farke the head coach / manager of Leeds United during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Salford City and Leeds United at Peninsula Stadium on August 29, 2023 in Salford, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Marc Roca’s Leeds United experience is mentioned after making rapid Real Betis ‘improvement’
After only one season in the Premier League, the Leeds United loanee has received a lot of plaudits for his La Liga efforts with Real Betis.
Marc Roca has been praised as a ‘continuous improvement’ footballer following his eye-catching comeback to La Liga with Real Betis. Quique Sanchez Flores, his former Espanyol manager, has plainly been blown away by the manner the Leeds United loanee has slotted so easily into Manuel Pellegrini’s midfield at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.
Roca had a difficult time adjusting to life in English football during his first season at Elland Road. The Spaniard showed flashes of his talent, but he was mainly underwhelming and failed to make a significant impact in Premier League games as the Whites struggled for traction.
He’s had no trouble fitting in at Betis, starting all four league games alongside Guido Rodriguez and helping the club get off to a good start to the season. His performances have gotten a lot of attention in Andalucia, and his former boss Flores is the latest to heap praise on him, saying that his Premier League experience is helping him thrive.
“Let’s say he has developed the ability to always be in the right place, which he already demonstrated years ago,” Flores told ABC Sevilla, according to Sport Witness. “Then there’s the body, which has nothing to do with an 18-19-year-old boy.
“You can tell he’s worked out; you can tell he’s played in the English league.” It’s a physique that goes with him and contributes greatly to what he does, which is to have peripheral vision and remain able to link the defense and the midfield.
“He seems to me to be a footballer in constant progress. Another very important thing is that he cares a lot about his profession. There are players who play football and are not so interested in their development. Marc is.
“From minute one he asks everything. From minute one he wants to know what the coach asks of him. From minute one he has always wanted to be better, to progress. I think that’s an added value to any good footballer.”
Roca joined Betis on loan in July and as it stands, he is due to return to Elland Road in the summer.
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