Leeds United’s quest for promotion has gotten off to a solid start under Daniel Farke, who’s guided them to third place after 11 games.
After narrowly missing out on Premier League football last season the pressure on Farke to succeed will be higher.
The season is well and truly underway, transfer markets shut, but Daniel Farke still felt the need to reinforce his squad defensively.
Enter 34-year-old Josuha Guilavogui veteran French defensive midfielder and center back who was a free agent after a year long stint with Mainz.
The Frenchman comes in as an experienced head in the backline that’s filled with youngsters- providing a cooler head that will be of great importance come the end of the season.
His signing bolsters a squad already stretched thin due to injuries to key players like Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev who are reported to only make a return in Jan 2025.
When you sign a tough, battle-hardened defensive player like Guilavogui, fans expect the full package: a towering presence, brute strength, and a commanding, deep voice to match.
Guilavogui certainly ticks the physical and technical boxes, but behind this strong physical presence is a voice that doesn’t quite fit the body.
Instead of the booming, commanding tone you’d expect from such a player, Guilavogui’s voice is surprisingly soft and calming, catching fans off guard in the best way possible- one you might associate more with a bedtime story than barking orders on the pitch.
Leeds fans had fun reacting to this contrast in Guilavogui’s playstyle on the pitch and his unexpectedly gentle voice. But this isn’t their first encounter with mismatched voices.
Ilan Meslier, Leeds’ baby-faced goalkeeper, famously flipped expectations when fans first heard his deep, booming voice.
Meslier’s innocent teen-like face led many to assume he’d sound soft-spoken, but his voice surprised everyone—just as Guilavogui’s has. It feels as if the two decide to swap their voices, normalcy would be restored.