The young Leeds United defender played against Harrogate but was missing against Guiseley.
When Paudie O’Connor signed for Leeds United from Limerick back in March, he will have already had half an eye on pre-season, knowing that he was playing catch-up arriving just two months before the end of a campaign.
The 19-year-old was selected for new Leeds manager Thomas Christiansen’s first pre-season friendly of the summer, albeit a behind-closed-doors friendly match against Harrogate Town. However his absence from Saturday’s clash with Guiseley suggests he is below fellow youngster Paul McKay in the pecking order.
On Wednesday, Leeds take on North Ferriby United, before heading to Austria to continue their pre-season preparations, and O’Connor will not want to be omitted from that match knowing the likelihood of making the plane a few days later will be seveely hindered as a consequence.
Still young, O’Connor is unlikely to be a first-team regular at Elland Road any time soon. However, chances to impress the new manager will be few and far between if he does not make the squad for the Austria trip.
A return to one of the two starting line-ups Christiansen is likely to field later this week will be a step in the right direction.
The alternative is the prospect of staying behind and continuing his development with Leeds’ under-23s, and having already turned out 39 senior appearances for Limerick prior to his move, that is not something he will want to envisage, even at this early stage of his Whites journey.
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