James Justin: From versatile back-up to Leeds' box-crashing secret weapon

Elland Road has grown accustomed to late-window bargains turning into cornerstones, but even by Leeds United’s standards the rise of James Justin feels remarkable. Signed on deadline day for an initial £8 million from Leicester City, the 27-year-old arrived as insurance for Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson. Six months later he is undroppable, captaining the side in the FA Cup and terrorising Premier League defences with surgically timed bursts into the penalty area.

Justin’s first league start, at Manchester City on 29 November, looked like a cameo: Gudmundsson was rested ahead of a daunting mid-week assignment against Chelsea, so the newcomer filled in at left-back, performed capably, then returned to the bench. A second start came only on New Year’s Day at Liverpool, where he began as right wing-back before tucking inside as a third centre-back in a back-five that kept a clean sheet at Anfield. He has started every league match since, a sequence that reached eight games when he wore the armband against Birmingham City in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Injuries to Bogle, Gudmundsson and Jaka Bijol created the opening, yet Justin’s intelligence, aerial power and, above all, his sense of when to arrive in the box have kept him there. Daniel Farke has long demanded that his right-sided centre-back step into midfield or attack when space opens; Justin has turned that tactical wrinkle into a personal trademark.

The evidence is on tape. At Everton he lingered on the edge of the area, delayed his run, then overhauled Dwight McNeil to smash home a late equaliser. Against Fulham, operating as the right-sided centre-back, he ghosted in late on a recycled set piece, only to fire over. Seven days earlier at Newcastle, timed from the blind-side of Lewis Hall, he thundered a Gudmundsson cross against the bar. Most recently versus Nottingham Forest, he surged from deep, exchanged a one-two with Brenden Aaronson and, although Stefan Ortega parried his shot, Justin calmly collected the rebound and rolled the assist for Noah Okafor’s clinching goal.

Those contributions have not gone unnoticed inside the dressing-room. With Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk sidelined, Farke asked Justin to lead the team against Birmingham, a public endorsement of the defender’s growing influence. It is a long way from the “reserve full-back” label attached to him on arrival, yet the player insists the adaptation has been seamless. Speaking after the Everton goal, he smiled: “I got a bit of stick because the coaches say I arrive too early, so I waited a little longer. Luckily it worked.”

Among last summer’s 10 senior additions, Lukas Nmecha, Gudmundsson, Anton Stach and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have all exceeded expectations, but only Justin has shattered the ceiling that defined his original squad status. His versatility—equally secure on either flank or as an auxiliary centre-back—was precisely why Farke chased him once moves for Sam Byram and Max Aarons were finalised in 2023. Add 99 previous Premier League appearances and a relaxed, mild-mannered personality, and Leeds saw a ready-made stabiliser for a promoted squad expected to hit turbulence.

The turbulence arrived, yet Justin has helped steady the plane while simultaneously providing an unexpected attacking weapon. Whether he is the deepest defender pausing, then sprinting, or the advanced wing-back timing a leap at the far post, the 27-year-old has fused defensive diligence with box-crashing menace. From afterthought to catalyst, James Justin’s first half-season in West Yorkshire already belongs among the most transformative of the Premier League campaign.