Antonsson scored more goals in 90 minutes against Huddersfield than he has in 12 Championship appearances for the senior side.
Leeds United striker Marcus Antonsson celebrated the “perfect” performance as his hat-trick for the club’s Under-23s saw off Huddersfield Town on Monday, as reported by The Whites official Twitter account.
The forward’s late double, including a last-minute header from an Alex Mowatt cross, sealed a dramatic win for Leeds’ reserve side against their Yorkshire rivals, while Northern Irish midfielder Stuart Dallas also made a welcome return from a calf strain.
Antonsson’s last goal for the senior side came all the way back in August in an away win at Sheffield Wednesday with his game time dramatically reduced in recent months, averaging just eight minutes on the pitch in his last five Championship appearances.
However, the Swedish international will surely have caught the attention of Leeds boss Garry Monk with his match-winning exploits on Monday, a game he himself admitted could hardly have gone any better.
“It was very good. It’s nice to play 90 minutes again, to win the game and get three goals. Perfect,” Antonsson told the club’s official Twitter account.
“It was in hard conditions, a heavy pitch, rain the whole game, but it was a good game though. I haven’t played much in the last couple of games so, of course, when I get 90 minutes and score three goals, I get something out of it.”
The 25-year-old made an instant impression when arriving at Elland Road from the Swedish top flight in the summer, with his electric movement and sharp finishing expected to translate comfortably to the Championship.
It hasn’t quite transpired that way so far, however, but not every player adapts to the English game at the same pace.
Time is on Antonsson’s side and, with Leeds pushing for a play-off place after years toiling at the wrong end of the table, he could find form at the most important part of the season.
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