Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa has praised Jamie Shackleton for his performance against Aston Villa on Friday evening, as quoted in Leeds Live.
Bielsa has also explained his decision to take off Pascal Struijk in the first half of the Premier League game against Villa away from home at Villa Park.
With Kalvin Phillips out injured, Struijk started in defensive midfield in the Premier League game, but he picked up a yellow card early on.
Bielsa decided to take off the 21-year-old after just 21 minutes and brought on Shackleton in his place.
The Leeds head coach has praised the 21-year-old, who can operate as a midfielder or as a wing-back, for his performance against the Villans, and has explained his decision regarding Struijk.
Bielsa told Leeds Live about Shackleton: “He entered the game very well. He was dynamic. He didn’t lose the ball. He won the ball back a few times. And he had presence in the attacking third.”
The Leeds head coach said about Struijk: “Yes, Pascal picked up an early yellow card and after this yellow card he had another foul which was a dangerous one. There was a lot of mobility in the midfield and it was very dynamic and it was very easy for anyone to make a challenge out of time so as a result I was worried and made the substitution.”
Stats
According to WhoScored, against Villa on Friday evening, Struijk had a pass accuracy of 92.9%, took 17 touches, attempted one dribble, and made one interception.
Shackleton played one key pass, had a pass accuracy of 84%, made one tackle and two interceptions, and put in one cross, according to WhoScored. According to Sofascore.com, the youngster lost possession six times.
Leeds won the match 3-0, thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from Patrick Bamford in the second half.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
