In today’s Leeds United roundup, we take a look at what news has been making the headlines for the Whites. Darren Bent is furious as Leeds United’s FIFA Fair Play award, three U23 stars sign new deals, and Kalvin Phillips hails fellow academy ace Jamie Shackleton as a ‘special talent’.
Bent baffled at FIFA Fair Play award
Report: Darren Bent is furious that Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa have claimed the 2019 FIFA Fair Play award at the FIFA Football Best Awards in Milan on Monday. Bent told Football Insider: “It surprised me that. Yeah, what he did last season against Aston Villa, I understand that, but when they got caught with the whole Spygate thing and for him to come out and admit he did it to all the different clubs, that kind of voids them in that fair play discussion.
“What they did against Villa was brilliant, it was really, really respectful but for him to get caught on Derby training and say yeah, we did it but we did it against all the teams we played against, that should void them completely from that fair play discussion. That’s not fair play.”
Verdict: Based on the incident against Villa itself, Bielsa and Leeds are perhaps deserving winners. The game did end 1-1 as a result of Bielsa’s demands to let Villa equalise, and if Leeds had gone on and won the fixture, Sheffield United wouldn’t have been so far ahead in second at the end of the season, and perhaps the Whites could have been promoted.
Although, as Bent alluded to, the award just so happens to be in the same season Leeds were fined £200,000 for spying on Derby County’s training ahead of their must-win match together. Consequently, the EFL to opened an investigation into the club after Bielsa revealed he did spy on Derby and that he would do it again in the future as well.
As Bent suggested, perhaps the right does not overturn the wrong here. But, Bielsa’s passionate rant at his players to let Villa equalise was not something you see often, and as it was in such a huge fixture, maybe the club deserves the award based solely on that dramatic event.
Trio pen new deals
Report: Leeds have confirmed via their official website that Bryce Hosannah, Pascal Struijk and Kun Temenuzhkov have all signed new deals and will remain at Elland Road for the ‘foreseeable future’.
Verdict: Hosannah, 20, joined from Crystal Palace in 2017 and has been a regular for the U23s since he arrived from London. As for the Bulgaria Under-21 international Temenuzhkov, he has been at the club since leaving Barcelona in 2017. Finally, ex-Ajax man Struijk, has started the season in brilliant form for the Under-23s, netting two goals and keeping four clean sheets in five games at the back (all statistics as per the leedsunited.com report).
Indeed, these deals bode well for the Whites, having the club witnessed the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Kalvin Phillips break into the first team in recent years after spells in the academy ranks. Leeds have also recently seen Charlie Cresswell and Stuart McKinstry sign professional deals, and in handing the trio of youngsters new deals as well, it seems that the club are trying to promote and invest plenty of time in their youth.
Phillips hails fellow academy star Shackleton
Report: As told by the Yorkshire Evening Post, former academy star Phillips has hailed fellow graduate Shackleton a ‘special talent’. Phillips said: “He’s a special talent. The way that he gets around the pitch, the way that he closes people down, the way he gets beyond players, he does it with ease and it’s good to play with somebody like that.
“It gives you so much confidence knowing that your players are going to be in those positions where you want to play the balls. If he carries on playing like that, there is no reason why he can’t play many games for Leeds United.”
The 19-year-old has already become relatively experienced in professional football, having played 24 times for the Whites last season, also. However, perhaps what is most special about Shackleton is his versatility. The Englishman has stepped out for Leeds at right-back, centre-midfield, right-wing and as an attacking midfielder (as demonstrated by Trasnfermarkt).Of course, versatility and squad depth within the Championship is an essential ingredient for success, with clubs having to play 46 fixtures in the competition, as well as compete in the two domestic cups. It is, for this reason, why Shackleton can be a worthy addition to the Whites’ squad this season, as they once again push towards the Premier League.
