Leeds United star Luis Sinisterra has insisted the club ‘immediately felt like home’ when he arrived from Feyenoord in the summer.
The Colombian joined Leeds in a €25m deal from the Dutch side as a replacement for Raphinha, who had left to join Barcelona.
He’s become a firm fan favourite at Elland Road since, with several impressive performances despite a slow start to the season for his side.
His immediate integration into the side has been impressive for a player who has only previously played in his native Colombia and the Netherlands.
There is a long list of players to have moved from the Eredivisie with a glowing reputation only to struggle early on with life in a new country and the more physically demanding Premier League.
At the moment Sinisterra does not look like he will fall into that trap at Leeds, a place where he says he has settled in immediately.
“I’m doing really well,” he told Voetbal Zone.
“The welcome here at Leeds was very warm and the manager also immediately expressed his confidence in me.
“It immediately felt like home here. I have found my place both at Leeds and in the national team. I got more confidence, which automatically made me play better.
“I am still very good friends with Marcos (Senesi). We still have a lot of contact. He plays at Bournemouth now, of course, so every time we both have a day off and it fits the schedule, we meet somewhere. Often we meet in London, for example.
“In the Netherlands we also had contact with Martínez (Manchester United), although Marcos spoke to him more often because of course they are compatriots. I’ve also met with him a few times. Now Lisandro is here and he is my rival again.
“Although Martínez lives nearby, I haven’t seen him here yet. We do keep each other informed of developments at the clubs and we speak to each other via social media.”
