Steve Evans hails two of his former Leeds United players, they’re still inspiring him

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Steve Evans handed Championship debuts to two Leeds United youngsters during his time at Elland Road – Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Ronaldo Vieira.

Steve Evans believes his faith in youth has been justified in the rise of Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Ronaldo Vieira, two exciting talents who made their Leeds United debuts under the now-Gillingham boss, in quotes reported by Kent Live.

Though it’s fair to say a straight-talking Scot will not go down alongside Howard Wilkinson, Don Revie and Marcelo Bielsa in Elland Road history, Evans did a rather respectable job in West Yorkshire.

He finished comfortably in mid-table and even lasted eight months at the helm – which was some achievement given that Massimo ‘manager eater’ Cellino was used to chomping his way through many a tactician by that point.

Both Peacock-Farrell and Vieira made their first appearances in Leeds colours during the final few weeks of Evans’ reign too, with the manager keen to provide a platform for the next generation in West Yorkshire.

Peacock-Farrell and Vieira have been sold on since then, the latter joining Burnley in a £2.5 million deal while the latter is playing Serie A football for Sampdoria since leaving England to the tune of £7 million.

And Evans has not forgotten how quickly they made the step up from reserve-team football to the unforgiving world that is the Championship as he looks to replicate their success in League One at Gillingham.

“There are kids I played at Leeds,” Evans recalled. “Ronaldo Vieira and Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who is now playing for Burnley in the Premier League, I gave kids like that their debut.”

“I never thought about their age. I just looked at them training and looked at them playing and I thought ‘if you are good enough you are old enough’. It doesn’t matter to me whether you are 18 or 28.”

Interestingly, Leeds are interested in one of Evans’ Gillingham starlets with 20-year-old centre-back Jack Tucker linked with a £1.5 million move to Elland Road (The Mail).