Should Leeds consider bid for Josh Scowen?

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Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom appears to be struggling to find Adam Forshaw’s ideal midfield partner.

While current Leeds boss Paul Heckingbottom was only in charge of Barnsley for exactly two years, there are a significant number of players that he can point to across the Premier League and Championship as players that he helped to the next level.

The likes of Alfie Mawson and Mason Holgate now sit comfortably at the top table of English football, while Conor Hourihane is amongst those threatening to reach the top flight this season having moved on from Oakwell.

Hourihane was the poster boy for the Tykes’ incredible performance during the first-half of last season when they flirted with the top six places in the Championship. But the Irishman would have arguably been nowhere near as influential if it was not for the form of the man often sat beside him in midfield, Josh Scowen.

Scowen often did the dirty work, breaking up opposition play and allowing Hourihane the freedom to get forward and dictate proceedings. He was another who ultimately moved on from Barnsley, joining Queens Park Rangers last summer. But perhaps Heckingbottom should seek a reunion with the 24-year-old at Leeds.

Based on the Whites’ form since January, Adam Forshaw looks set to be a hugely important player for the side. The former Middlesbrough man has often been a shining light when there has been little for the fans to be positive about, having frequently stood out as being the player who looks most likely to provide that touch of brilliance.

Finding the perfect partner for him however, has proved to be a difficult task for Heckingbottom, with Eunan O’Kane and Kalvin Phillips looking poor lately and Ronaldo Vieira struggling to prove his fitness throughout the season.

If Leeds landed Scowen, he could be the perfect partner to bring the best out of Forshaw, giving the 26-year-old the freedom to pull the strings and dictate the play in the same way that Hourihane did last season.

Scowen may have rarely taken the headlines, but he was unquestionably the unsung hero of that Barnsley side that could have been very impressive had they kept their team together. So perhaps Heckingbottom should seek a reunion with him in the summer in the hope that he could also become Leeds’ unsung hero.