In-and-out Leeds United man admits European return 'very attractive' amid Daniel Farke relationship reveal
Leeds United midfielder Ilia Gruev has said the Bundesliga is still a 'very attractive' league but his ultimate goal is to play Premier League football.
The international midfielder was recently named the second-best Bulgarian player during 2024 at the football federation's annual awards, following a first season in England with Leeds.
Gruev joined the Whites from Werder Bremen in the latter stages of the 2023 summer transfer window, making 32 league and play-off appearances as United narrowly missed out on promotion.
This season, the 24-year-old has appeared only 17 times, largely due to a knee injury which required surgery and kept him sidelined for an extended period during the middle of the campaign.
Since returning to full fitness, Gruev has been in and out of the team with manager Daniel Farke occasionally preferring a midfield pairing of Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka.
In a new interview, Gruev has spoken about the possibility of a Bundesliga return, whilst reaffirming his desire to fulfil a career ambition of playing Premier League football.
"The goal now is clearly to get promoted with Leeds. The Premier League would be an absolute dream for me. I want to play in the best league in the world. I find the Bundesliga very attractive, but for now, I want to continue proving myself in England," he told Sport1.
Gruev also commended the work done by Farke this season and last, complimenting the German's man-management style.
"He's pretty quickly picked up where his successful time at Norwich left off. Things went really well for him there. [He] has found his way in England and implemented his very clear philosophy. There's no doubt that his style is evident on the pitch. That's always a good sign.
"I have a very good relationship with the coach. [He] is someone who wants to help a player. He knows exactly when to talk to a player; that's one of his qualities. And he doesn't overdo it with personal conversations. He's demanding and very ambitious," Gruev added.
The Bulgarian-born midfielder remains contracted to Leeds for another two seasons, until the summer of 2027, at which time the club hopes to be a Premier League side. Gruev has made 54 appearances for Leeds across all competitions, scoring once - a free-kick during the 4-0 defeat of Norwich during last season's play-off semi-final second leg.