Mateo Joseph is fast making a name for himself.
After being eased into senior action for Leeds United last season, the 20-year-old striker has become a regular this term. Born in Santander, Spain, to an English father and a Spanish mother, he represented England at youth level before switching allegiances to his country of birth. Last week, he scored a hat-trick for Spain Under-21s against their counterparts from Kazakhstan.
Joseph will hope to take that form back with him to the Championship, where he has scored once and provided three assists for Daniel Farke’s team in nine appearances at the start of this season.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, he explains why he had no hesitation in choosing to play for Spain, his footballing reference points and his aspirations. We ask him about a possible return to Spanish club football, where he was with Racing Santander and then Espanyol — but before that, he has unfinished business with Leeds.
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What did Leeds tell you to convince you to go to England when you were a kid?
Victor (Orta, the sporting director) and Gaby (Ruiz, the head of European recruitment) came to Santander. From the first moment, they were very friendly with me. I was a 17-year-old kid and they made everything feel very real. That’s also what you look for when you hear these things — what they told me (would happen) has been fulfilled and I am very grateful.
Leeds were signing so many young players at the time — did they say you would have a space in the first team?
Yes. Looking at the squad, it wasn’t very large and I imagined I could have opportunities over a long season. They don’t tell you directly, but they’re also trying to sign you because they see a future for you and they transmitted that to me from the first moment.
Joseph celebrates scoring against Hull City in August (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Do you feel the weight of the club and their history?
It’s a very demanding club. You can tell by the fact the stadium is full every week. Whenever there’s a game on, our fans are there. Whether it’s a friendly, a league game, a cup game, a tour game, a pre-season game, it’s a demanding club. They fight to be at the top all the time, no matter what division they are in. I’m very happy to be there and to be playing a lot, which is important at 20.
Did you have the feeling last season that people were asking you to play a more important role? How did you deal with that?
I’m 20 years old, and maybe it wasn’t my time. I used it to prepare myself to the maximum, so when I was given the opportunity I could take advantage. And I think I did. Against Chelsea (in the FA Cup, below), against Watford (in the Championship), I took advantage of the appearances the coach gave me. He let me know that, and told me that I helped the team a lot. I don’t have to be in a hurry. You have to go at a good pace, but you shouldn’t force things.
This year, it’s going well. I would like to have better (scoring) statistics and I am always very, very self-demanding — but I’m happy with the steps I’m taking. I am calm — but I noticed it (that people were calling for him to play more).
What kind of things does Daniel Farke say to you?
He emphasises the details — the details of passes and actions in training and games. Everything has to be 100 per cent. He gives me a lot of confidence, which is important as a young player. I’m very happy, because last year maybe I was not ready, but he cared about me and helped me improve.
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How would you describe yourself to people who haven’t watched you?
As an agile striker. I’m powerful, I like to run into space, but I can also receive the ball at my feet. I really like to be in the box, trying to see where the ball lands. I’m good at it, although there are a lot of things I need to improve.
What aspects of your game would you like to improve?
Mainly heading. I’m training a lot this year, I can improve a lot more. Then I can also continue to improve my finishing. A striker has a percentage of shots they convert and that can always be improved. It’s never going to be 100 per cent, so I won’t get tired of training to try to be as effective as possible and help the team.
I read that you had Fernando Torres’ Chelsea and Liverpool shirts when you were growing up. Do you model yourself on him or are there other strikers you look up to now?
When I was growing up, I really liked (Luis) Suarez, (Karim) Benzema and Torres, obviously. Torres is a reference point because he also played for the Spanish national team and won lots with them. I like a lot of strikers, especially the bigger ones.
Torres was Joseph’s idol growing up (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Do you feel reflected in Torres, given he was a Spanish player who also moved to England early in his career?
Not yet (laughs). I would like to get closer to what he achieved but there are quite a few Spaniards playing in the Premier League. To do something similar would be a tremendous success. Little by little. As I said before: patience. I will try to improve every day to get there. That’s my dream.
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Your mother used to put up two flags from your balcony in Santander during international tournaments: an England one and a Spain one. How did your family experience those moments?
England had rarely met Spain in the knockout stages (of international tournaments) until now. But we always had a bit of a joke because England tended to come out on top. My father comes from England and my mother is from Spain, but we always wanted Spain to win out of respect. Even my father.
After Spain won the European Championship final against England this summer, you turned up to pre-season training with Leeds wearing a Spain shirt. How did people there take it?
I went wearing the national team tracksuit. They didn’t say anything to me — they couldn’t say much either, they had just lost. But as always, it was done with respect. You know how we Spaniards are. We’re proud of our country and we’re good at sport.
When you were in Leeds’ youth ranks, did the club recommend you join the England youth teams?
It was around the time of the 2023 Under-20 World Cup and that opportunity, especially given I was on the verge of the first team, could have been better for me. As it was an English club, some people would prefer me to play for England. But I always knew what I wanted. I couldn’t imagine being with any other national team than Spain.
You’ve just scored a hat-trick for Spain Under-21s. Do you see yourself playing as a No 9 for the Spanish senior team?
That’s a dream, but it’s also true that the strikers in the senior team are the best in the world. So calm down. If I’m in the under-21s, it’s because they see that I have the potential to make it one day. I will work and listen to what they tell me to have the chance to get there. It would be the biggest dream I’ve ever achieved.
Joseph celebrates his hat-trick for Spain Under-21s against Kazakhstan (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Was it hard to move cities so young, from Santander to Barcelona (where Espanyol play) and then from Barcelona to Leeds? Which was the toughest?
The change from Santander to Barcelona. It was a shock, because I was 13 and leaving home. I didn’t think about how hard it was, but I wanted to take that step because I thought it was best for me and my family.
I went there with a lot of enthusiasm but it was also hard. There were times when I went back home at Christmas or in the summer and then it was hard to leave again, it was hard to leave the people you love. Going to Leeds wasn’t so hard because in the end, it was just another step. And my mother came to live with me, so that made it a lot easier.
Which do you prefer as a city, Leeds or Barcelona?
Barcelona is more complete but Leeds has that tranquillity Barcelona doesn’t have. At the same time, Leeds doesn’t have the same lifestyle as Barcelona. Let’s not fool ourselves. The food is different too — I like the Sunday roast and there are some restaurants I like where I try to go with my family when there’s a day off, to do something different.
Do you see yourself returning to play in Spain at some point?
I would like to live in Spain in the future, but only if there’s a good opportunity. I’m focused on Leeds and I’m very happy there. It’s a demanding club that fights for things and that’s ambitious. You never know. Spain has one of the best leagues in the world and you never know what opportunity will come.
But the aim is to settle down at Leeds?
Yes. We have the team to have a good season. We’ll face every game with enthusiasm and desire and we’ll prepare in the best possible way to return to the Premier League, which is where this club deserves to be.
(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
