Leeds United sold Oliver Sarkic to Burton Albion after he failed to play a Championship game for Marcelo Bielsa.
Talk about carrot and stick.
Oliver Sarkic might have scored his first ever Burton Albion goal during the shock EFL Cup triumph over Bournemouth on Wednesday night but manager Nigel Clough isn’t getting carried away yet with the former Leeds United prospect.
Born in Grimsby, schooled in Anderlecht and Benfica, Sarkic arrived at Elland Road in 2017 with the hope of establishing himself as a fans’ favourite at Elland Road. Thanks to the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa, however, that dream soon came crashing down.
Like so many of the players Bielsa inherited a year ago, Sarkic didn’t make the cut and he was sold to Burton in July after a difficult loan spell at Spanish second tier outfit Barakaldo.
But the 21-year-old forward offered a reminder of why Victor Orta thought he was a diamond in the rough when Premier League Bournemouth came to the Pirelli Stadium. Sarkic scored his first Brewers goal against Eddie Howe’s men, fizzing a low volley into the corner.
Though Clough wasn’t about to get carried away just yet.
“It was Oliver Sarkic’s best game so far for us,” Clough told Burton’s website before channelling his late, great father and demanding more.
“With his quality, he should be getting more goals and assists,” he told the Derby Telegraph.
Adding to that clinically taken effort on Wednesday is the best way for Sarkic to prove that Leeds got rid of him far too quick.
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