'No reason' - Leeds United boss fires Championship warning to promotion rivals Sunderland & co

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke says his players have to use their Championship play-off final defeat to Southampton as fuel for next season’s promotion push.

Adam Armstrong’s 24th-minute strike settled the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, with the Saints winning promotion back to the top flight.

Farke cut a deflated figure at full-time and revealed he had to console many tearful players. Thoughts have already turned to next season’s promotion push, however.

Farke said: “Out of such days and disappointment, sometimes you learn more out of it and take extra motivation to make sure next time you are not on the wrong end again. You make sure you are also allowed to celebrate and this is obviously what my players want to do in the future.

“We feel the pain and we are deeply disappointed we are not able to send our supporters home with something to cheer about and we are not back in the promised land of the Premier League. One thing is for sure is the lads have no reason to dwell on that and will take this as extra motivation to come back even stronger.”

The Leeds boss added: “I totally trust this club. I totally trust also the key people because my experiences since I sign the contract was, after a difficult start with the (player) exit clauses that we had to suffer until more or less September, this club is totally on the right path.

“But to go into details about what we will do and how we will be even stronger, right now it is the wrong moment to give this message straight after a final.

“Yes, it is always a bit difficult when you don’t know at the end of May exactly in which league you are because of different scenarios. For sure, always a bit tricky but in the background we’ve prepared a lot. There will be lots of work to do also over the upcoming weeks, that’s definite for sure.”