Vieira made his Leeds United debut under Steve Evans less than a year ago.
Andy Couzens in action for Leeds (left)
Former Leeds United midfielder Andy Couzens has made a confident claim about a current one.
Ronaldo Vieira was thrown into Garry Monk’s side on the opening day of the campaign at Queens Park Rangers and hasn’t looked back, making 35 appearances in total in all competitions.
And, discussing the EFL’s top prospects on this week’s The 72 Show, part of the V2 Football Podcast, Couzens said of the 18-year-old: “There’s a lot of young kids out there… I’d put Vieira in there as well, I think he’s the best up-and-coming youngster in British football at this present moment in time. He could be absolutely world class could that kid.
“I see him every week at home. He struggles a little bit away but certainly at home he bosses the midfield and for an 18-year-old kid to do that in the setting which he’s got with 30-odd-thousand pretty much every week now, you know…
“He will be without a shadow of a doubt the next big thing in British football.”
Leeds United’s Ronaldo Vieira applauds the fans
Vieira’s ascent has been swift, with the midfielder not arriving at Leeds until September 2015 from the York-based i2i Football Academy, in which former Whites striker Richard Cresswell is involved.
The Bissau-Guinean spent much of his childhood in Portugal and was on the books of Liga NOS giants Benfica until his family’s move to England at the start of the decade.
Vieira’s twin brother Romario joined him at Elland Road in at the start of the campaign, although the latter is still awaiting his senior debut.
Ronaldo has already been linked with a move to Leeds’ Championship promotion rivals Newcastle United since breaking into Monk’s plans (Chronicle).
How far can the Leeds United star go?
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