Noel Whelan reacts to Jack Harrison’s display and miss in Leeds tie

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Jack Harrison missed the decisive penalty as Leeds United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Noel Whelan told BBC Radio Leeds (broadcast on 27/8 from 22:00) that Jack Harrison deserves praise for not shying away from taking the fifth penalty in Leeds’ Carabao Cup shootout defeat to Stoke on Tuesday night, and insisted that the winger was exceptional while he was on the pitch.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are out of the competition despite producing a spirited comeback in the second-half of their tie with the Potters. It had appeared that Nathan Jones’ men were heading into the third round at something of a canter as they took a 2-0 lead into the break.

But Bielsa brought on Harrison, Adam Forshaw and Ben White at the break. And the triple change looked to be the catalyst that set the stage for Leeds’ fightback. Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa both found the back of the net to ensure that the game went to spot-kicks.

Unfortunately for Harrison, his effort hit the post after the previous nine kicks had all been scored. The penalty miss sparked a remarkable reaction inside the stadium as the supporters began to sing the winger’s name.

And Whelan seemed to suggest that Harrison deserved all of the plaudits coming his way having produced a superb performance in the game and then shown the courage to take the Whites’ fifth penalty.

“He’s not hiding, he’s not hiding after missing a penalty. He showed strength of character, everyone’s giving him a high five. His performance in the 45 minutes while he was playing, I thought was excellent. Really good performance from him,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.

“I thought he was exceptional. I thought he was brilliant,” he went on to add.

Harrison has done a fantastic job of proving a point since returning to Leeds for a second loan spell in the summer. His first stint saw the wide-man only show glimpses of his quality, but he is now making an impact on a regular basis and is arguably one of the most exciting players in the squad at the moment.

Costa is arguably pushing to take his spot. But Bielsa will be hoping that the Portuguese’s presence brings even more out of Harrison, as he has shown that he has the potential to be a real game-changer for the Whites this season.