“In tears” - Daniel Farke makes Leeds United dressing room revelation on one player after Middlesbrough win | OneFootball

The efforts of United against Boro at the Riverside on Tuesday evening took their toll on one particular Whites individual

Leeds United's hard-fought 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening took its toll on midfield general Ao Tanaka, with Daniel Farke revealing that he was in tears post-match in the dressing room.

United had to ride some storms at the Riverside Stadium, with Michael Carrick's side having 17 shots compared to the five that Farke's men had, but on the flip side of things, Leeds had two goals ruled out for offside through Tanaka and Patrick Bamford, which perhaps should have been given.

The Teessiders were wasteful though in their attempts to draw level though, and in the end it was a very early second-minute goal from Leeds winger Dan James that settled the contest, sending the West Yorkshire outfit back to the top of the Championship standings thanks to both Burnley and Sheffield United slipping up against Derby County and Millwall respectively.

Daniel Farke issues Ao Tanaka revelation following Middlesbrough 0-1 Leeds United

Leeds were certainly hanging on at the end as Boro pushed and pushed them, with every drop of energy left out on the pitch to secure the three points, which meant a return to the summit of the second tier.

And it seems that by Farke's admission, some players really did leave it all out there, including Japanese engine room operator Tanaka.

Farke revealed that the 26-year-old was crying in the changing rooms at full-time, with the midfielder telling his manager that he felt "empty" - presumably due to the efforts he had put in.

Partnering Ilia Gruev in the middle of the park, Tanaka had another solid outing in a Leeds shirt, much like most of the 2024-25 season since his £2.95 million transfer from Fortuna Dusseldorf last summer.

Tanaka is proving to be a real bargain buy for United, and his value has likely increased ten-fold as a result of his performances under Farke at the base of Leeds' midfield.

Ao Tanaka has a significant part to play in Leeds United's run-in

With Ethan Ampadu having to shift back into defence to cover Pascal Struijk's absence, Tanaka's role in the starting 11 from now until the end of the season will hold even more weight.

As we saw against Boro, Tanaka is capable of bursting into the box and putting the ball into the back of the net, and he would have had his fifth goal of the Championship season if not for an incorrect call from the linesman.