Tom Pearce must repeat turnaround that saved his Leeds career

Follow us on Google Discover

Tom Pearce is struggling for game-time at Leeds United this season and probably will not remember the weekend’s clash too fondly.

While Marcelo Bielsa is determined to show loyalty to his Leeds squad, he has shown during the opening months of his tenure at Elland Road that he is not afraid to make ruthless decisions on matchdays either.

Kalvin Phillips has twice been replaced before half-time, and Tom Pearce was on the receiving end of Bielsa’s ruthlessness at the weekend. The left-back was brought on during the first-half of their draw with Nottingham Forest to replace Luke Ayling, but did not see the game out as he was taken off with 25 minutes remaining.

Pearce would be forgiven for feeling extremely frustrated. He has struggled for game-time this term, even after Barry Douglas picked up an injury earlier in the month. And this latest setback may add to his disappointment over how this season is playing out.

In fact, The Sun on Sunday (28/10; page 59) reported at the weekend that Pearce could look to leave in January, potentially for a Championship rival or for the likes of Everton and Bournemouth in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen if Pearce is actually keen to leave. But he should not allow himself to give up on potentially turning his situation at Elland Road around.

Especially as he has done it once before.

The defender was arguably one of the few success stories to emerge from Paul Heckingbottom’s brief tenure with the Whites last season, establishing himself as the first choice left-back in the latter stages of the campaign.

Pearce was extremely impressive. But it was an emergence that few saw coming, including those he was working with regularly at Thorp Arch.

The Yorkshire Evening Post reported in the summer that Leeds were ready to release Pearce at the end of his contract before he enjoyed a dramatic upturn in form that saw him move from the under-23s’ bench to the first-team fold within a few months.

Pearce’s situation is nowhere near as bleak this season, but with Douglas now ahead of him in the pecking order, he arguably needs just as great a comeback to turn his situation around – especially with Gjanni Alioski and Stuart Dallas also proving to be options that Bielsa likes to use.

The youngster may potentially be worried that Saturday’s clash could prove to be a sign of what is to come for him if he stays at Leeds. But given what he achieved last season, he should be more than confident that he can surprise anyone who is choosing to write him off.