“We want to become an established Premier League club once again”

WERDER.DE: Moin Ilia, it’s been a while. You’ve recently been out with a knee injury, so first of all: how are you doing at this moment in time?

Ilia Gruev: I’m doing better and making progress. I’m currently in Bulgaria, in Sofia, combining rehab and time with family.

WERDER.DE: You missed a few games last season also because of a knee injury. How big a setback was it to be ruled out again?

Ilia Gruev: It’s frustrating to be injured again, but that’s part of sport. It was a shame that I wasn’t able to help the team in the final few games. But you have to keep going, keep pushing, keep working at it and things will come right again. Of course, though, it’s difficult for any athlete when they can’t do the thing they love most.

WERDER.DE: Let’s look at the positives. You moved to England three years ago and have had some hugely successful seasons since then: first a third-place finish in the Championship, then the title and promotion, and now a respectable 14th-place finish in the Premier League. What have you made of the club’s development?

Ilia Gruev: I’m really happy that I made the move to England and to Leeds United. Our first season was successful too, even though we unfortunately lost the play-off final against Southampton. Last year was then a brilliant season for us, winning the title with 100 points. I missed a lot of games because of my injury, but I played a lot of minutes before and after that. This season, we were the underdogs. A lot of people expected us to go straight back down, because that had been the trend for all three promoted clubs in recent years. I’m really pleased that we went about things as we did, were so stable, picked up so many points and ended up with a very comfortable cushion above the relegation places. It’s a project that is constantly developing. We want to build on that and keep going. You can see that the people running the club, the people who own it, want more. As a player, it’s obviously exciting to be part of something like that as it already was in the Championship.

WERDER.DE: What are the aims for the future?

Ilia Gruev: The club wants to keep developing, and the stadium is going to be expanded in the near future. We want to become an established Premier League club once again, which isn’t an easy task. Leeds has huge potential and can go on to achieve even more. The fanbase alone is outstanding, and we have what we need at our disposal.

WERDER.DE: You’ve developed as a player too and were recently named Bulgaria’s Footballer of the Year for 2025. What does that award mean to you?

Ilia Gruev: It means a lot to me that my performances are being recognised in my home country. It’s something special to be named Footballer of the Year – the number one – in your own country. I’m really happy about it because it shows that people appreciate what I’m doing and recognise the level I’m performing at.

WERDER.DE: Let’s look back for a moment. You spent many years at Werder. How closely do you still follow the club, and who are you still in touch with?

Ilia Gruev: Of course I still follow Werder. When I have time, I watch the games now and then, especially because there are still some former teammates and friends there. A lot of them have moved on by now, though. I’m mostly in contact with Felix Agu and Leo Bittencourt, although he’s left now, as well. I’m also in touch from time to time with Amos Pieper, Romano Schmid and Marco Friedl. I was back in Bremen in March. It was really nice to see a few of the old lads again, people I hadn’t seen for a long time. But it was also nice to see lots of the people who were part of my whole journey in Bremen over those eight years, from the physios to the staff at the academy. That was lovely and immediately gave me a good feeling again.

WERDER.DE: You mentioned your time in the WERDER academy. Mio Backhaus and Karim Coulibaly both made their breakthrough last season. Would you say the Werder academy prepared you well for professional football?

Ilia Gruev: Werder really is a special club and played a huge role in my development. I joined the academy at 15 and lived in the boarding house. It was a really enjoyable and successful time. We were always up near the top of the standings, consistently competing for titles. We had a lot of lads who went on to make it in professional football. Alongside me, there’s Nick Woltemade, Eren Dinkci, Yannik Engelhardt and Manuel Mbom. I’m really pleased that so many of the boys I played with back then are now playing at that level. That’s also a real credit to the academy.

WERDER.DE: Manuel Mbom recently returned to Germany after a spell abroad. Could you imagine coming back to the Bundesliga one day?

Ilia Gruev: You can always imagine anything. But I have to say that I really value the Premier League and I really enjoy playing here. I still follow the Bundesliga, of course, but my focus is on the league here in England.

WERDER.DE: What makes the Premier League so special for you?

Ilia Gruev: Above all, the quality of the players. Every club has top players. That has become even clearer to me since I’ve been playing in the Premier League myself. The tempo of the game makes a big difference too, but the whole environment around it is also special, and the market is huge. So many people watch the Premier League. When I compare Werder’s reach with Leeds’ reach, even people in Bulgaria watch much more Premier League football than they do the Bundesliga. When I’m on holiday, no matter which country I’m in, I see people wearing Leeds shirts. That is special.

WERDER.DE: The World Cup is just around the corner, and Bulgaria missed out on qualification. How much does it hurt to have to watch the tournament from afar?

Ilia Gruev: Yes, it hurts. Although you have to say that we are in a development process. The chances of us qualifying from a group with Spain, Turkey and Georgia were very slim. We’re still a long way off – we have to be open and honest about that – but of course the aim is to play at a major tournament one day and be involved at a EURO or a World Cup. That would be something huge, especially for our country. It’s a dream of mine.

WERDER.DE: Do you have a favourite to win the World Cup?

Ilia Gruev: I could see Argentina becoming world champions again. France have an incredibly strong squad, too, though.

WERDER.DE: Thanks for speaking with us, Ilia!