The teenager has high hopes of success at Elland Road.
General view inside the stadium before the game – Elland Road
Leeds United have recently released their retained list for the 2017-18 season with some young players not making the grade. But talented players do continue to come through the youth system and the emergence of Ronaldo Vieira and Kalvin Phillips this season is a testament to this.
Now one of those young players has made it clear that he is hoping to make it into the Leeds first-team by the time he is 18. Fulford-born Niall Huggins has been speaking to the York Press and has informed them that he wants to make an impact at Elland Road soon, stating:
“I am looking forward to the next two years. I will be working hard and putting all my effort into, hopefully, getting a ‘pro’ deal at the end of it. That’s the goal.
“I am aiming to be in the first team at 18. You have got to aim for it! Even if you don’t make it, you aim to get in as early as possible.
“It is eight years since I first came and signed for the club when I was eight. It is good to be back signing up as scholar now. It is quite a proud moment. I have put a lot into this.”
Leeds United’s Ronaldo Vieira celebrates after the match
He also spoke of the inspiration he gets from the success of the current crop of Leeds youngsters:
“It is inspiring. When I started, they were Under-10 and Under-11 players. We have seen them all push through to the first team. It’s good to watch them and think ‘we can do that as well.”
Huggins has been handed a two-year scholarship at Thorp Arch and will be pressing for first team action in the years to come and will need to catch the eye of the manager Garry Monk to do so.
General view inside the stadium before the game – Elland Road
He has had to battle injury problems this season and the winger will need to have a better break regarding his fitness if he is to make his ambition of playing for Leeds by such a young age a reality.
Leeds fans would be delighted if another young product came through their academy system.
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