‘Great ability’: Sky pundit says ‘top player’ Leeds sold now ‘one of the best’ in the league

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The after-effects of Marcelo Bielsa’s reign at Leeds United is still being felt with one of his old players now shining bright in the Championship.

Jack Clarke is proving to be the star man for Sunderland after making his debut for Leeds United as a fresh-faced teenager in 2018. 

The now-22-year-old was part of the Leeds United side that played for Marcelo Bielsa in his first season at Elland Road, before being sold to Tottenham 12 months later – he only made four appearances for Spurs.

Fast forward to the present and Jack Clarke is ripping it up for Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland, with Clinton Morrison claiming that he is now ‘one of the best players in the Championship’, as he told Sky Sports (30/09/23 at 12:35 pm). 

From his nine Championship games, he has seven goals, including a brace away at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night.

Leeds United’s main task this season is to earn promotion, well, after Sunderland were beaten in the play-offs last season, and their strong start this time around, they will be one of the teams Daniel Farke’s side will be trying to stop.

Jack Clarke after Leeds United exit

“Clarke is one of the best players in the Championship out on this left-hand side,” said Morrison.

“He has got great ability. He can go past people easily and I think he is a top player. Everyone looked at Sunderland and thought ‘Would they miss Diallo?’ Obviously, they are because he was a top player for them. 

“But Jack Clarke, both of them on either side, were causing problems last season.”

Jack Clarke living up to the early hype

The all-action winger was only 17 when he was thrown into the deep end by Bielsa, but at the time, he just couldn’t cope with the relentless nature of England’s second-tier.

But now that his body is far tougher for the gruelling nature of the Championship, he is starting to cook.

With seven goals already to his name, there is every chance that Clarke can hit 20+ goals this season, especially given that Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland have every chance of, not only promotion, but an automatic finish.