Should Heckingbottom gamble on Jack Clarke for Leeds’ next game?

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Leeds United will be looking to bounce back from consecutive 3-0 defeats when they travel away from home this weekend.

After watching back to back 3-0 defeats that surely dash any hopes Leeds had of reaching the play-offs this season, the Elland Road faithful would have been forgiven for being incredibly downbeat heading into this weekend’s trip to Reading.

Paul Heckingbottom’s tenure has not started well, and his critics will have only got louder after Wednesday’s emphatic loss at home to Wolves. But despite the result, there was one talking point that seemed to give Leeds supporters something to be positive about in the heavy defeat.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell was handed his first league appearance for the club since 2016. And while the 21-year-old had to pick the ball out of his net on three occasions, the general consensus was that he was Leeds’ man of the match – admittedly there were no other real contenders – and he should keep his place in the team against the Royals.

Peacock-Farrell’s performance highlights that the fans will generally be more patient if they see some of the club’s academy graduates given a chance over one of the underperforming first-team regulars – even if the inclusion does not see the side’s fortunes change.

And that should perhaps tempt Heckingbottom to take a chance on the player that is arguably the most talked about starlet coming through at Thorp Arch, Jack Clarke.

Clarke – who was an unused substitute in the FA Cup defeat to Newport County back in January – is one of the most exciting players in the under-23 squad and it appears a matter of time before he is pushing for a first-team spot on a more regular basis.

With Leeds looking to be out of the running for the top six and Hadi Sacko struggling against Wolves, Heckingbottom would surely get a lot of support if he decided to follow Peacock-Farrell’s inclusion by handing Clarke a chance, even as a substitute.

There is no better time to hand the cluster of incredibly-promising youngsters their chance in the first-team. And if Clarke grasps any chance in the same way that the goalkeeper did on Wednesday, Heckingbottom may have a very exciting option on his hands, and the end of the season – which is threatening to fizzle out completely – may end on a more positive note.