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Ilia Gruev identifies major Leeds United difference going into second Championship promotion push

Leeds United fell at the final hurdle last season but preparations are well underway for a second promotion attempt.

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Ilia Gruev hopes a more settled summer and the experience of last season’s failed promotion push should put Leeds United in a strong position to go again this time round.

Gruev is enjoying – or enduring – his first pre-season as a Leeds United player, having arrived from Werder Bremen last September once his new club had already played six times across all competitions. The Bulgarian joined a team still reeling from the chaos of several forced loan exits and Wilfried Gnonto’s failed attempt to move one, which played a part in Daniel Farke’s side starting slowly.

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It took a while for Gruev to get going at Leeds due to Ethan Ampadu’s consistent presence in defensive midfield, but a first start in the 1-0 defeat at Stoke City in October left a lot to be desired as the 24-year-old got to grips with the rigours of Championship football. An excellent second-half of the season provided proof of quality, however, and a full summer should encourage faster starts come August – and not only for Gruev.

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“It is nice to be back in Germany,” he told . “We have good training facilities, the pitches are good and the weather is good. It is nice that the team are together and we are getting better and better as a group. It has been lots of hard work. It has been intense which is good. We prepare ourselves the best way we can for the league and I think we are in a good way.

“To be here from the beginning, show yourself in training and in the games and to be prepared with the team is quite important and makes it easier for players. I expect [the Championship to be] like last year with intense games, as 46 games is very long but I expect we will show our quality and be even better than last year.