Rewind 18 months, and relegation from the Premier League looked as though it might actually help Charlie Cresswell kickstart his breakthrough into the Leeds United side.
Cresswell had just spent the season prior on loan in the Championship at Millwall. Injury limited the England Under-21 defender to just 30 appearances for the London side, but he did score five goals.
He returned to Leeds that summer and signed a new deal. But Daniel Farke had other ideas, handing him just one Championship start all season and seven appearances in total throughout the 24-25 campaign.
Farke decided to sign Joe Rodon, while Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk sat ahead of Cresswell in the pecking order. Ethan Ampadu moved into defence when Struijk got injured halfway through the season.
Charlie Cresswell dig at Daniel Farke over lack of Leeds game time
Farke publicly criticised Cresswell over his commitment to the cause and the relationship never recovered. Cresswell left last summer to the tune of £3.8m, joining Ligue 1 side Toulouse where he has since starred.
Cresswell endured an indifferent start, playing on the right of a back three and starting four of the first seven Ligue 1 games. But a move into the middle has seen him shine, starting and finishing the last four.
Cresswell was key to Toulouse’s three straight wins and three clean sheets against Montpellier and Reims, before Cresswell’s Toulouse beat Glen Kamara’s Rennes. He spoke to La Depeche about his Leeds spell.
“All I needed was to play matches in a row to get back to my level and gain confidence. Last year, I didn’t play much. It had been a long time since I had been able to play. Back in shape, enjoying every moment.
Charlie Cresswell’s stats for Toulouse since Leeds United exit
Despite his shaky start and being made to look very average by Mason Greenwood in defeat against Marseille, Cresswell has starred in the last few weeks. Indeed, making his £3.8m fee look like a bargain.
Premier League clubs are renowned to look at English defenders playing overseas and if he continues in the form he is in, then it seems likely that Cresswell could attract the attention of some top-tier interest.
But for now, Cresswell seems hell-bent on shining for Toulouse but also, proving Farke that he was wrong to keep him out of the side and ultimately, force the defender out of Leeds in the recent summer window.
