Jack Clarke and Liam Kitching react on Twitter after making Leeds bench for cup tie

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Leeds United included Jack Clarke and Liam Kitching in their squad for the first time on a disappointing day for the Championship side.

Jack Clarke and Liam Kitching both took to Twitter after Leeds’ FA Cup third round tie with Newport County to express their delight at being included in the matchday squad for the game at Rodney Parade, while also alluding to their disappointment at the result.

Clarke and Kitching were two of the youngsters who were called up from the Whites’ under-23s, along with Oriol Rey and Tom Pearce. Unfortunately for the quartet, none managed to get on the pitch as Thomas Christiansen’s men suffered a humiliating defeat.

Gaetano Berardi gave Leeds the lead nine minutes in, but the visitors were unable to build on their advantage and were punished as Newport started to take more control of the game.

Two late goals saw the score turn around and saw the League Two side spring the upset that would have undoubtedly taken the shine off the day for the four youngsters in the squad.

But both Kitching and Clarke insisted on social media that they are able to take some positives from the occasion having both made the bench for the first time in their careers.

You would certainly imagine that Christiansen was hoping that his side would quickly establish a commanding lead that would see the game put to bed so he could throw one or two of the youngsters onto the pitch.

But with the game in the balance right until the final whistle, it is little surprise that he did not throw Clarke, Kitching, Rey or Pearce on at any stage. But Christiansen may be hoping that the chance to be in the matchday squad motivates the quartet and the rest of the under-23s to step up in the coming months.