Leo Hjelde opens up on Celtic exit and reveals Leeds United told him to lose weight after surprise EPL bow
dailyrecord.co.ukFormer Celtic defender Leo Hjelde admits he was told to lose weight when he arrived at Leeds United in the summer. But now the 18-year-old is reaping the rewards of his hard work after Marcelo Bielsa handed him his debut in the FA Cup before the Norwegian then made his first Premier League appearance on Sunday.
Hjelde was thrown on midway through the first half in Leeds' win over David Moyes' West Ham in the capital just a week after starting against the same opposition in a third round cup exit - his first tastes of first-team action since signing at the end of August.
He insists it feels surreal to be entrusted on such a big stage at such a young age but Hjelde insists he's worked hard - especially after his new side deemed him too heavy.
Speaking to Norwegian outlet NRK, he said: "I was told that I had to lose a few kilos to become a Premier League player. "You have weight goals, so I was told to lose a few kilos to be at the weight they wanted. "At Celtic I was told that I was too light.
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