David Healy was under no illusions that, for Linfield, holding onto a player with the talent of Charlie Allen would be all but impossible.
The Northern Ireland legend is prowling the touchline for the Belfast-based outfit these days. And he, like many others across the sea, have been left gobsmacked by the raw potential of a teenage midfielder who broke a 134-year club-record when making his senior debut at the tender age of just 15.
“Charlie was named in the 25-man squad for the (Europa League qualifier) against Rosenborg which tells you how much we rate him,” Healy, the Northern Ireland’s all-time record goal-scorer, told the Belfast Telegraph last year.
“He’s still young, developing and has a lot to learn, but I know, in time, Charlie won’t see his 17th or 18th birthday at Linfield. He will be elsewhere. Our plan is to guide him the best way for the next 12 months when he is here.
“He is still at school and hopefully when he does go he will make the right choices and have an incredible full-time career.”
There are certainly worse places for Allen to hone his prodigious talents than at Elland Road. The Belfast Telegraph claims that Leeds United have fought off competition from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Rangers to secure one of the most sought-after signatures in British football.
In Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds have a coach who is famed all across the footballing world for his ability to push players to their limit. Kalvin Phillips, Ben White, Jack Harrison, Ander Herrera and Mike Maignan are just five players who have been set on the road to greatness by a bespectacled, bucket-perching tactician.
And if the former Leeds striker Healy is right, Allen has everything in his locker to enjoy an ‘incredible career’ at a giant of a club who appear to be awakening from their 15-year slumber.
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