Jack Harrison has shared that Leeds trio Crysencio Summerville, Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde ‘always shine’ during murderball, as he told the club’s podcast.
The Leeds winger praised the youngsters for being ‘great young talents’ and how they have ‘worked really hard’ for their first-team opportunity.
Marcelo Bielsa has had to deal with a number of injuries this season, including Patrick Bamford suffering back-to-back long-term knocks.
Not forgetting that Kalvin Phillips is also set for a spell on the sidelines, alongside Liam Cooper.
Rather than moan about it or try to get a game postponed, Bielsa has thrown his young guns into the deep end and they have thrived.
Even though he is 25, given the number of teenagers that have been part of the Leeds squad, it makes someone like Harrison one of the experienced ones.
And the Englishman praised three players that are doing the business, both in training and out on the pitch.
“I spend a lot of time with Cry (Crysencio Summerville), he’s a brilliant young player,” said Harrison. “I tried to talk to him about a lot of different things. About mentality.
“He is a great young talent. I want to help him as much as possible. The same with Leo (Hjelde) and Lewis (Bate). They came into the game (v West Ham) and stepped up massively.
“They have been showing it week in and week out when we have been doing our murderball sessions.
“They always shine, on the other team for the under-23’s and they deserve this opportunity, they have worked really hard for it. And they have the ability to do it also.”
Things went from worse to even worse for Leeds on Sunday when both Junior Firpo and Adam Forshaw had to go off injured in the first half.
Bielsa handed Bate and Hjelde the chance to shine, as they both played a huge part in the Whites beating Champions League-chasing West Ham 3-2.
It’s a credit to Leeds’ academy and the man on the touchline that all these young kids are coming through and are being given a chance to shine.
No more than, 15-year-old, Archie Gray, who was named on the bench by Bielsa for their clash at the London Stadium.
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