91Èȱ¬

Leeds United head coach Steve Evans has said full-back Sam Byram will be "at the front of my thoughts" if he signs a new deal with the club.

Byram, 22, is out of contract at the end of the season and has not started a game since 29 October.

Evans revealed the player has been offered new terms this week.

"I've told Sam I need him to say he is going to sign. If he does that then he will be at the front of my thoughts," Evans told 91Èȱ¬ Radio Leeds.

"I'm looking to build here. If somebody is building a house and you say 'that is a dodgy brick', then you won't put it in the middle of your house. You'd use a different one.

"I'm a little bit confident, for the right or wrong reasons, that that offer might be enough for him."

Leeds are currently 17th in the Championship after losing their last two matches 1-0.

The former Rotherham boss has given his backing to striker Chris Wood, who has scored just once in his last six games.

"Chris Wood is the type of lad who needs to feel loved and needs to feel welcome. He would accept his performances have been inconsistent," he said.

"To help him get that consistency level we need to play better as a team and give him more of an opportunity to take a chance or link the play around the box.

"My job is to make sure we can play in a style and find players that make him back to being the outstanding player he was when the club signed him."