Conor Shaughnessy has been a revelation for Leeds United.
Had you asked Leeds United fans who the most exciting academy player would be this season, there is a good chance that a lot would have answered Ronaldo Vieira.
But the truth is that Vieira has barely featured in Leeds’ senior side and instead Conor Shaughnessy is the latest academy graduate to make waves in the first team.
The 21-year-old Irish defender, originally recruited from Reading, has started three Championship games and three League Cup outings and has earned rave reviews for his centre-back showings.
It was at Burnley in the last round of the Carabao Cup when the Galway native posted a coming-of-age performance which consolidated the growing belief that Leeds had a serious talent on their hands.
It is quite puzzling then to consider why Shaughnessy can’t get a game for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s, who drew 0-0 with their Norwegian equivalent in Dublin last night.
He spent the entire game on the bench as manager Noel King elected to play Danny Kane and Corey Whelan in central defence. Based on the clean sheet you can’t argue it was a bad decision, though it is odd.
Leeds fans won’t be complaining, though.
Whites boss Thomas Christiansen has a shortage of options at centre-back recently and a game against Norway last night would’ve introduced the risk of an injury which Christiansen just doesn’t need at the moment.
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