We’ve seen plenty of Leeds United’s talented youngsters get their Premier League chance in recent weeks.
The Whites are going through one of the worst injury crises seen in the Premier League. Marcelo Bielsa has had to call on Leeds’ U23s to make up for the horrific number of first-team absences.
However, the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Jamie Shackleton and Crysencio Summerville have taken advantage of these woes to establish themselves in the first team.
In our view, three other Leeds youngsters could break into the starting XI too in 2022.
Liam McCarron
“At 15 he was blessed with loads of pace, which is why we took a chance on him, but he was a young boy who would get very frustrated very quickly,” McCarron’s former Carlisle United academy manager Darren Edmondson once told Leeds Live.
“As he’s matured and come into full-time football, that’s been the biggest change in him. If he makes a mistake now, his work rate is unbelievable.”
Doesn’t that sound like the perfect Bielsa player? A young, fast winger with an unbelievable work rate? McCarron is seemingly a great fit for this team, and he’s been consistently performing for the U23s for some time.
The Scot is a versatile player, capable of playing at left-back or on the wing, and his searing pace and incredible engine will surely turn Bielsa’s head at some point.
Leeds don’t have much depth at left-back, so there could be an opportunity on the horizon for McCarron.
Stuart McKinstry
This winger has gone from strength to strength since joining Leeds in 2019.
He quickly made the jump from U18s football to the U23s after joining Leeds, despite being just 16 at the beginning of that season.
The Athletic decision to quickly promote McKinstry to the U23s was reportedly a call made by Marcelo Bielsa, suggesting the gaffer is keeping an eye on the former Motherwell man.
McKinstry could be a real gem for Leeds in the years to come, and 2022 could be a big year for him.
Sam Greenwood
If you thought Joe Gelhardt was talented, just wait until you see Sam Greenwood.
This 19-year-old can play as a number 10 or striker, and it has to be said he looks something special.
The former Arsenal man has netted seven goals and assisted a further four in PL2 this term. And, while Gelhardt’s main abilities are his pace and power, Greenwood is a much more technical player.
He’s an incredibly pure striker of the ball, and a brilliant set-piece taker.
It’s surely a matter of time before this teenager is given a chance by Bielsa and Leeds.
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