Noel Whelan suggests what Leeds starlet Jack Clarke needs to prove

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Jack Clarke is still awaiting his first start for Leeds United despite a number of impressive performances for the Championship leaders.

Noel Whelan has seemingly suggested during BBC Radio Leeds’ post-match coverage of Leeds’ defeat to Hull on Saturday (broadcast on 29/12 from 17:00) that he wonders whether Marcelo Bielsa may be holding back on handing Jack Clarke his first start for the Whites due to questions surrounding what defensive contribution he is going to provide when he is on the pitch.

Clarke has made 10 senior appearances for Leeds, but all of those have come from the bench this term. The 18-year-old has established himself as Bielsa’s wildcard.

He was superb on his debut against Brentford, provided the decisive assist in the win at Sheffield United and sparked the stunning turnaround at Aston Villa just before Christmas.

With Jack Harrison struggling to prove himself on a regular basis, plenty of Leeds fans have called for Clarke to be handed that first start in the very near future. And Whelan admitted that he wondered whether Bielsa is not entirely convinced that his all-round game is at the level it needs to be just yet.

“I’ve not seen enough of him defensively. I know what he can do going forward,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.

“The way we start games, we need people who are going to be really at it, defensively track back, do the job, be disciplined. I’ve not seen too much of that side of Jack Clarke.

“I know he goes forward, I know he’s very exciting, he can go past a player with ease and he creates chances and can score himself. We’ve seen that. But the only way to find out I guess, whether he can do that defensive job as well is to start him.”

As Whelan suggests, Clarke is yet to get the chance to show that he is more than the ace up Bielsa’s sleeve. In nine of the 10 games that Clarke has featured in, he has been brought on when Leeds are either behind or level and thus, looking to make something happen.

But with Harrison struggling against Hull, perhaps that wait for a first start may just come on Tuesday when Leeds travel to Nottingham Forest looking to get back to winning ways.