Despite a successful season at Leeds United this season, not every player was able to make the impact they would have hoped for.
Leeds United had incredible squad depth for a Championship side, especially in central midfield and in the wide attacking areas. Daniel Farke’s side were able to utilise that advantage but some featured only a handful of times in the Championship.
Largie Ramazani’s game time was a frustration for many due to his obvious quality, and the Whites could have potentially won the league by a larger margin with both the Belgian and Karl Darlow featuring more regularly earlier in the promotion run-in.
However, one player who was overlooked was Isaac Schmidt after he was signed from St. Gallen in the summer of 2024, paying an initial fee of around £2.5 million to bring in the Swiss utility man.
Isaac Schmidt talks up his Leeds future in the Premier League
Schmidt has threatened to leave Leeds if things don’t change, with the Swiss defender undoubtedly not one of Leeds’ winners of the campaign. Schmidt is still waiting for his chance in a big way, which may be even harder to come by in the Premier League.
Farke has previously discussed Schmidt’s game time with numerous Leeds fans frustrated for Schmidt and in agreement that he should be utilised more regularly, either on the wing or in a more natural role as an attacking full-back.
Speaking via Blick, he has revealed his thoughts on the situation. Schmidt said: “I thought about it. But I’d only just arrived, and I needed to adapt. And I could see that I was making progress.
“Even without playing, I could feel that I was making steady progress. I was hoping to play if we became champions sooner. And then, I didn’t want to miss this unique moment. It’s not something you experience every day.”
The 25-year-old is under contract until 2028, and Blick asked him whether he’ll still be at Leeds next season in the English top flight, having been a regular in the Swiss top flight prior to his arrival in England.
It appears as though Schmidt is conflicted over his Leeds future of late, he added: “We’ll see. I’m open to anything. But Leeds, in the Premier League… it’s a unique experience.”
He was then asked if Premier League football is his dream, he continued: “Yes, of course. It’s a dream. I didn’t have a favourite club in the Premier League. Now, it’s Leeds!”
Isaac Schmidt’s minutes and stats for Leeds United so far
Schmidt’s Switzerland chances could be hit without more regular minutes at club level, be that with Leeds or elsewhere. It means he has plenty to weigh up this summer, but it could also hinge on Junior Firpo and Sam Byram.
The pair have entered the final month of their contracts and could be released, but Leeds have announced talks are underway with both over extending their stays in West Yorkshire.
Should they stick around, and Leeds add more to their full-back position, then Schmidt could be even further down the pecking order and in desperate need of game time elsewhere.
Schmidt hasn’t been able to put together regular minutes in his debut season. To put it into context, he played 71 minutes from 12 league games and 180 minutes from two FA Cup games.
That is fewer minutes than just nine games for St. Gallen Schmidt featured in at the start of the campaign before joining Leeds.
