Leeds United's Bailey Peacock-Farrell has revealed that he has turned down the chance to have another week off and instead is back at the club for pre-season as he looks to establish himself as the number one keeper.

Having played for Northern Ireland over the recent international break, the stopper, along with teammate Stuart Dallas, were told they could report back to Leeds a week later than most of the Whites squad.

However, Peacock-Farrell explained to the club's media that he didn't want to be wasting any time as he looks to convince Marcelo Bielsa that he should be ahead of Kiko Casilla in the pecking order at Elland Road.

"For me, for what I wanted to do and what I wanted to set out for this season, I thought if I took that extra week off I am a week behind in terms of preparation.

"What I know in my head is I want to be here and I want to fight and to push to play here so I think the best way for me to do that is to be here on the first day. Me and Kiko get on really well. But both of us want to play obviously and if I want to do that then I need to be here."

The 22-year-old was Leeds' number one at the start of last season but lost his place to the former Real Madrid man when he arrived in January.

The Verdict

This attitude is sure to delight Leeds fans and it shows just how serious the keeper is about getting ahead of Casilla in the coming months.

The Spaniard struggled a lot towards the end of the previous campaign, so Bielsa is going to have a big decision to make when the first game comes around.

Therefore, the next few weeks are going to be crucial and Peacock-Farrell is giving himself every chance by returning early.

It shows he has a good character and it's now about delivering in training and in the upcoming games.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.