McCormack underlines value to Leeds as contract talks continue

Brian McDermott hailed the impact of striker Ross McCormack as Leeds continued their impressive start to the Championship season.

McCormack played an integral part in Leeds’s equaliser, as Luke Varney crashed home to level David McGoldrick’s 11th-minute opener, before the striker celebrated his recall to the Scotland squad with a winner three minutes after the restart.

McCormack has been the subject of a reported three bids from Middlesbrough but McDermott is unwilling to sell.

“Ross is a quality player who scored a quality goal. I don’t know how many bids we have had – I leave that to the owners and the player’s agent. But I want him to stay and Ross wants to stay.

“I think selling him to another Championship club sends out the wrong message.”

Aside from praising his striker, whose talks over a new deal at Leeds to warn off potential suitors continues, McDermott was equally delighted with his side’s gutsy performance.

Ipswich dominated the first 25 minutes, scoring with a lethal 20-yard finish from McGoldrick and then seeing a lovely curling effort from left-back Aaron Cresswell cannon off the bar.

But after Varney equalised and McCormack grabbed a winner that Leeds overall deserved, McDermott said: “They were on top for the first 25 minutes and we had to change our shape in the second half.

“We have been 1-0 down (in three league games) this season, but that happens in football. There is good resilience and desire in the dressing room I thought we were good value for the result.”

Ipswich chief Mick McCarthy said goalkeeper Scott Loach came in and apologised after reacting slowly to McCormack’s skidding winner. “We should have put them to the sword when we were on top in the first half.

“But then they got a fortuitous equaliser which changed the course of the game.

“The second goal was a real poor one to concede and he (Loach) came in and apologised - he should have saved it and he knows that. There is no point dancing around the issue.

“Leeds have got some good experienced players and the front three (Varney, McCormack and Noel Hunt) are a real handful.

“They defended doggedly in the second half but we should have definitely made them pay in the first half.”

Yorkshire Post