Jack Clarke made his Leeds United debut during their most recent Championship clash.
Despite never appearing for Leeds in a competitive game before the high-flyers’ clash with Brentford, Clarke’s quality and potential has perhaps been one of the club’s worst kept secrets, and it is probably a surprise that he went into the month having not made his first-team debut.
But he finally got the chance in the latter stages of Leeds’ latest game with the home side chasing an equaliser at Elland Road. It was a major show of faith in Clarke given that the Whites were a goal down, and the youngster has explained what took place in the moments before he came onto the pitch.
“There was a minute or so when the ball went out of play and Marcelo and Carlos (Coberan) told me to go out there and enjoy it and seize the moment.
“It was brilliant, I felt nervous standing on the side of the pitch and that is when it started to feel real, but I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Clarke looked lively when he came on and created problems for the visitors. It was a challenge on him that should have arguably resulted in a red card for Moses Odubajo, and the 17-year-old definitely did not look out of place on the senior stage.
And Bielsa appears to be giving him the perfect message at this stage of his career. The Leeds head coach encouraged Clarke to play his natural game, and that is surely what is going to help him develop into the incredible talent that many expect him to become.
It would probably be a surprise if he features against Blackburn this weekend, but after his bright debut, he could certainly be a real wildcard for Leeds this season.
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