Shackleton starred as Leeds drew with Swansea on Tuesday night.
Former Leeds United manager Neil Redfearn told Radio Yorkshire back in 2016, as quoted by the Daily Star, that Jamie Shackleton had a “great chance” of making it at Elland Road. Two years on, and his prediction is beginning to come true.
Shackleton, 18, made his first full start for the Yorkshire outfit on Tuesday night, in a late change to Marcelo Bielsa’s line-up after captain Liam Cooper suffered an injury in the warm-up.
It saw Luke Ayling partner Gaetano Berardi at centre-back, and Thorp Arch academy product start at right-back where he impressed despite coming up against Barrie McKay and then later substitute Jefferson Montero.
Redfearn, who has managed Leeds on multiple occasions as caretaker and the club’s actual boss, as well as being in charge of the clubs’ youth academy, predicted Shackleton would go on to break into the senior side at Leeds.
“There’s a little boy, a midfield player called Jamie Shackleton. I think he’s got a great chance,” Redfearn said. “I think he’s a good footballer, he’s got great feet. He’s not the biggest, but he’s very tenacious. He reads the game well.”
Shackleton starred on the right side of defence, getting forward well and creating Leeds’ first goal, which saw the teenager skin his opponent with a blistering burst of acceleration before delivering a pin-point cross for Kemar Roofe to tap home.
However, as Redfearn says, Shackleton is originally a midfielder. It showed at times during the match, with Leeds caught out on their right – Oli McBurnie scoring from a cross on that side for his and Swansea’s second.
Leeds have gone to the top of the Championship with the draw over Swansea, after beating Derby County, Stoke City and Rotherham United. They face another difficult trip to Norwich City on Saturday.
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