It had been 504 days since Daniel James last scored for Leeds United before Tuesday night’s opener at Nottingham Forest.
It is a barren wait nobody could have anticipated when he slid the ball home inside two minutes at Middlesbrough in April 2025. Leeds were in the Championship and bearing down on a 100-point tally, which clinched the 2024-25 title. James was involved in 21 league goals that year, which saw him named on the three-player shortlist for Championship Player of the Season and crowned United’s Player of the Year.
His stock had never been higher at Elland Road. James was finally adding end product to his electric speed. He signed a new four-year contract that July, and it was hoped he would carry that momentum into last season’s Premier League return.
The Wales international would ultimately play just 559 league minutes. As Daniel Farke pointed out after the 2-0 Carabao Cup win in Nottingham on Tuesday night, Leeds failed to score at any point he was on the field in the league. That is not a statistic which has seen much airtime, but the manager’s comments indicated it had become a talking point inside the club.
“I’m so unbelievably happy for Daniel James because he’s a brilliant player and an even better human being,” he told his post-match press conference. “It was such a tough last season with many injuries (for him).
“We had the topic (that) we have not scored one goal once he was on the pitch last season (in the league), and it’s like he knew this. And he himself has not scored a goal in ages.
“How important it is for him to stay fit and sharp, and also his confidence, he has proven today because he had a really good pre-season and looked sharp in the games, no injuries, could work hard, could bring his body in a really good position.
“Of course, after such a year when you know the team has never scored a goal when you are on the pitch, it’s realistic to say the chances don’t come around that often. If they come around, you have to grab them with both hands. This is what he did today.”
James strikes against Forest (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Injuries effectively wiped out any chance James had of making a mark last season. He went from being one of the star men, one of the first names on Farke’s teamsheet in 2024-25, to a non-entity in 2025-26. He was even clearly conscious of how blunt the team was with him on the field.
There were shorter absences for core, ankle and adductor issues over the course of the year, but a hamstring problem, which wiped out December and January, was the killer blow. He picked up that injury in the visit to Manchester City, when Farke memorably switched formation and transformed the club’s season.
James watched on as the manager used 5-3-2, 3-5-2 and 3-4-2-1 formations to push the club away from danger. He returned to the bench in February and made do with cameos, but did not start again until May 11’s dead rubber at Tottenham Hotspur, after Leeds had guaranteed their top-flight status.
The winger has had the chance to rebuild himself at Leeds this summer. Wales failed to qualify for the World Cup, which gave him a full break and meant he returned for pre-season on day one.
The first step was avoiding injury and playing a key part in the summer friendlies. He did that and has at least put himself in a position to consider where he plays in this system.
James has built his career as a winger with rapid pace. Last season, only 11 players recorded higher speeds than his top recording of 36.13 kilometres per hour in the Premier League. And yet, Farke has not regularly used conventional wingers since November 2025.
This summer, James was used as the left-sided attacking midfielder behind a striker in the 3-4-2-1. Then, last night, he was stationed as the right wing-back in the same formation, but Farke said they created a unique role for him.
“He was excellent,” he said. “We tried to create a bit of a role for him today, which was probably not invented in football so far, because he was not a winger, he was not a wing-back, he was something in between.
“Against the ball and also in possession, excellent, a very all-round game and I’m so happy. This will be a big boost for his confidence, for his rhythm.
“(This was) one of the most important things (from) today, next to going through into the next round.”
How does James make himself a fixture for Leeds in this system? Jayden Bogle has cemented his role as the right-sided wing-back. James can offer an attacking outlet, but he will always struggle defensively.
Perhaps his best bet will be in that left-sided attacking role, where he can cut in and be the attacker he naturally wants to be. Brenden Aaronson started there on Saturday, but has struggled for consistency over his time at Leeds.
Noah Okafor is, arguably, the club’s best player there, but his pre-season started late after Switzerland’s World Cup run and his own injury record is patchy. The club’s ongoing interest in Mykhailo Mudryk, among others in that mould, underlines Farke’s appetite for something better there.
It’s a big ask for James, but he has to aim for something in this team. He won’t want to wave another season past from the sidelines. He took what felt like his first step forward in a long time on Tuesday night.
