The Yorkshireman spent time at Leeds in 2010.
Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic in action with Everton’s Mason Holgate
Mason Holgate looks like he is embarking on a breakout year with Everton. The 19-year-old has made his way into the Everton first-team under the management of Ronald Koeman after the departure of John Stones.
But Leeds United fans may not know that the teenager was with the club at one point.
Barnsley academy chief Mark Burton, who has been instrumental in the emergence of this pair, explained to the Yorkshire Post yesterday that Holgate had briefly left Barnsley for Leeds in 2010.
West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon in action with Everton’s Mason Holgate
He stated:
“Mason has a really good career ahead of him.
“He had a spell at Leeds United at 13, but we got him back here and did not pay any compensation as he wanted to come back.”
Everton’s Kieran Dowell and Mason Holgate wait before being substituted
Holgate would undoubtedly have been a hit at Leeds if he had stayed with the club. He would have come through the ranks with the likes of Lewis Cook, Kalvin Phillips and Lewie Coyle at Leeds – undoubtedly pushing on into the first-team picture at Elland Road.
However, as it was stated by Burton, Holgate preferred a return to Oakwell and did so swiftly.
Leeds therefore did not miss out on Holgate, simply they were not what the Doncaster-born lad was after.
Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook in action with Valencia’s Alvaro Medran
The teenager has featured four times for Everton this season and it seems he is set for a first-team future at Goodison Park.
But Leeds fans will rightly wonder what might have been – even if they would have probably sold him by now!
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