Mallik Wilks is getting the first team football he needs in League Two – but the Leeds United loanee’s lack of starts may be a concern.
Mallik Wilks could hardly have made a better start to life on loan at Accrington Stanley. The 18-year-old striker, who moved from Leeds United in the summer, needed just nine minutes to net a dramatic last-gasp equaliser against Notts County on his debut.
And a series of sparky cameo appearances followed, including a late winner against Chesterfield last month. Wilks had become Accrington’s game-changing super-sub.
Two months into his loan at the League Two high-flyers, however, and Wilks may now be wondering when he will get the chance to make his mark from the start. The teenager has made 11 appearances for Accrington but every one has come from the substitute’s bench.
After coming on with just seconds to go in a 3-2 defeat to Stevenage in midweek, Wilks managed just 11 minutes in a 2-0 win away at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.
Leeds, then, may be wondering whether Accrington was indeed the right club for Wilks.
The locally-born centre-forward may be only 18 years of age with next to no senior experience under his belt prior to this season.
However, while fellow Leeds youngsters Lewie Coyle and Tyler Denton are thriving thanks to regular first-team football received at Fleetwood Town and Port Vale respectively, the Championship challengers may be disappointed that Wilks has been restricted to second-half cameos so far in League Two.
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