Leo Hjelde made his Premier League debut for Leeds United on Sunday afternoon as the Whites produced a superb display to beat West Ham. Celtic fans, and Mikey Johnston, have applauded the teenage defender on Twitter.
Hjelde, 18, swapped Celtic for Leeds in the summer – after failing to break into Celtic’s senior side. That is, despite an impressive loan spell at Ross County during the second half of the 2020-21 campaign.
Following his £1million (Through It All Together) move to Elland Road, Hjelde has been a regular in Mark Jackson’s Under-23 side. But with injuries aplenty at Elland Road, he made his debut last week in the FA Cup.
That resulted in a 2-0 loss to West Ham. But this time around, Leeds took on West Ham in the Premier League – winning 3-2. Hjelde was introduced after 20 minutes, replacing Junior Firpo who suffered a muscle issue.
Despite only coming on as a substitute, the Norwegian talent produced more clearances than any of his teammates with five – as per WhoScored. A superb display from left-back, and he underlined his delight on Instagram.
Celtic fans and Johnston applaud Leeds star Hjelde – regret over exit?
Celtic could have done with a left-footed option at centre-back, and cover at left-back. Liam Scales has been brought in, but one would argue that Hjelde might have been the better option – allowing him to stay and develop.
Nevertheless, Leeds have benefited and lured Hjelde south of the border and it appears to be a move that has paid off, having starred for Leeds in their last two games. Celtic fans, and Johnstone, applauded Hjelde.
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