Matthew Pennington reportedly wanted to return to Leeds United from Everton, but he is now at Ipswich Town instead.
Ipswich Town travel to Elland Road on Wednesday night and there is one player in particular who has a point to prove: Matthew Pennington.
The Everton-owned centre-back spent the 2017/18 season on loan at Leeds United after all and, if reports are to be believed, he wanted to return this summer for a second spell in West Yorkshire.
That is according to the Yorkshire Evening Post anyway. But the report added that Leeds’ new head coach Marcelo Bielsa had no interest in granting Pennington’s wish as he believed he had enough centre-backs at his disposal.
No doubt the 24-year-old will head back to his former employers with a steely determination too prove Bielsa wrong.
“It’s pretty much the same team and it’ll be nice to see a few friendly faces but we’re going there to do a job and get something from the game,” the Everton academy graduate said in quotes reported by the YEP.
Under-fire Ipswich boss Paul Hirst has started Pennington in just seven Championship games so far but, speaking to the TWTD in September, he lauded the defender’s versatility and claimed he had a ‘fantastic attitude’.
Pennington will be hoping to show Leeds that he has improved since a rather underwhelming spell with the Yorkshire club last season.
With Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper the only senior and natural centre-backs at Leeds’ disposal, Bielsa’s belief that he had enough options available is certainly up for debate, too.
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