Jamie Shackleton has made his Championship debut for Leeds United this season and has clearly caught the eye of Marcelo Bielsa.
Jamie Shackleton really is just 18. Not that you would have guessed it. Because the Leeds United youngster is mature beyond his years and already appears to have his career mapped out ahead of him.
Shackleton has been earning rave reviews behind the scenes for quite a while, even before he made his first-team debut two months ago.
The Leeds-born teenager certainly made a positive impression in his maiden Championship appearance, shining out of position in an unfamiliar right-back role in a 2-2 draw away at Swansea City and setting up Kemar Roofe’s goal with a driving run and pinpoint cross.
In an interview with the League Football Education newsletter, as reported by Leeds Live, Shackleton has now revealed that he is already undertaking his UEFA B coaching badges.
“I’m looking at studying for my UEFA B Licence in Coaching this year and get that in the bag early so that I’m in a good position already for when I finish playing,” said Shackleton.
“It can also help my game right now, learning how to support and deal with players and it makes you think about the bigger picture of the game rather than just your own individual role, so it’s definitely something I’m hoping to sort out soon.”
Shackleton clearly has a good head on his shoulders at an age where so many young players have started to believe the hype and let their focus drift. No wonder Leeds fans are tipping him for a bright future on the pitch and in the dugout.
If the teenager is already thinking about a future in management, there are worse people to learn from than Marcelo Bielsa.
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