Ilia Gruev ends painful four-year hoodoo as Leeds United star captains Bulgaria to 2-0 win

Perhaps the biggest success story of the international break, aside from Tarik Muharemovic’s unbeaten run and Nico Elvedi reaching 75 caps, is the return to action of Leeds United’s Ilia Gruev.

Gruev, 26, has not played for Leeds since April after picking up a knee injury that saw him hobble onto the Elland Road pitch on crutches, when Leeds celebrated staying up at the end of the season in May.

Injured throughout pre-season, the Bulgarian finally made his return at the start of September, playing 84 minutes in Scott Gardner’s U21 side during a 4-4 Premier League 2 draw against Middlesbrough.

Despite that lack of game time, Gruev – who finds himself in the final year of his Elland Road contract – was called up to Bulgaria’s squad for their four fixtures during the break. He’s started all four times.

While Gruev will be delighted with the minutes he has clocked up during the break, the left-footed star will have been frustrated with his nation’s results. It started with a 2-1 home defeat to Luxembourg.

Hardly surprising, given Bulgaria’s last competitive win came in November 2025, when they beat Georgia 2-1. It was the last of six World Cup qualifiers, having lost the first five. Then, a 0-0 draw against Estonia.

Before last night’s second clash against Luxembourg, Bulgaria went to Iceland and lost 3-0. But on Tuesday night, Gruev captained his side to a huge 2-0 away win over Luxembourg – his 31st cap.

For Gruev, it is his first competitive away win with Bulgaria in four years. He last won an away fixture for Bulgaria in a competitive match against Gjanni Alioski’s North Macedonia in September 2022.

Boasting a rating of 7.3 on the night (FotMob), Gruev sparkled for Bulgaria in their 2-0 win. While he offered little in terms of attacking output – as expected – Gruev was the glue in Bulgaria’s midfield.

Completing 31 of 37 passes and touching the ball 48 times, Gruev provided six defensive contributions: one tackle, two interceptions, three clearances, as well as three defensive recoveries from the middle.

The former Werder Bremen star – who is now playing for his future at Leeds – also won three of four duels last night. A top performance, a landmark result, and only his second competitive away win with Bulgaria.

This article first appeared on Leeds United News and was syndicated with permission.