The 28-year-old impressed once again despite Leeds United’s worrying home loss against Cardiff City.
It is almost two months since Charlie Taylor last pulled on a Leeds United shirt and burst past a full-back with an explosion of acceleration on his favoured left flank.
An Achilles injury means the 23-year-old, whose future continues to be shrouded in doubt with his contract expiring in June, has missed the last 11 games in all competitions.
However, although Taylor is perhaps the only orthodox left-back in Leeds’ squad, manager Garry Monk is recognising first-hand the value of versatility.
It takes a lot to stand out for the right reasons during a home defeat to one of the division’s most uninspiring sides but, in Leeds’ 2-0 loss against Cardiff City on Saturday, Gaetano Berardi did exactly that.
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The one-time Switzerland international, naturally a right-sided defender, continues to deputise to great effect on the opposite flank, impressing in wins against Rotherham United, Derby County and Nottingham Forest before managing three tackles, five clearances and an 83 per cent pass completion rate against Neil Warnock’s side.
As such, even if Taylor does depart at the end of the season, Berardi’s performances in his absence have offered optimism that Leeds can survive the loss of yet another homegrown talent.
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In fact, if each and every one of Monk’s players performs with the same tenacity and spirit for the remainder of the season, there is no reason why a worrying run of consecutive defeats cannot be rectified in the coming weeks.
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