Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan has poured praise on Ezgjan Alioski after he scored in the Whites' 2-1 win over Middlesbrough at Elland Road on Sunday.
The jury has been out on Alioski during Leeds' poor run of form, but Whelan thinks the Macedonia international ran through brick walls for Thomas Christiansen's men against Boro.
Alioski scored Leeds' second goal, which ultimately won the game, in the 54th minute and Whelan thinks that the attacker was an example to every Whites player on the pitch.
Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds: "He's got loads of energy, he's a fit lad. The only thing we've ever questioned is can he put his foot in when he needs to; we saw it in Bristol because he did that before.
"Today we had it for the full amount of time he was on the field. He must have been shattered. He looked shattered from the amount of work rate he put in", he continued.
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"Everybody should be like that after a game. That's the only way you get wins in any football match, coming off feeling sick from all the hard work you put in."
The former Leeds hitman can find only one complaint to make of Alioski, and that is that he needs to be physically stronger to continue to make his presence felt in the Championship.
But Whelan says the ex-Lugano man is working on that aspect of his game.
"He needs to be stronger, but he's getting there."
Leeds worked hard to sign Alioski during the summer transfer window and he played alongside Samu Saiz and Pablo Hernandez, as part of a three behind Kemar Roofe, against Middlesbrough.
