Leeds journalist Beren Cross has delivered fine praise in the direction of teenager Jack Jenkins after his display for the U23s on Monday evening.
Cross was giving his player ratings after the Whites thrashed Bolton 5-1.
What’s he said?
Carlos Corberan’s team were in mighty fine form at the beginning of the week as a mix of youth and more experienced players took to the field against the Trotters.
Eddie Nketiah started up front and scored twice while Gjanni Alioski also featured and got on the scoresheet.
Jack Clarke was back in the goals too, but it was one of the players in the middle of the park that convinced the most.
It wasn’t Mateusz Bogusz or Alfie McCalmont but instead, it was Jenkins who kept things ticking over.
He earned a match rating of 7 and the following review:
“Overshadowed McCalmont on the night with his midfield display during the first half and then went to right-back in the second period. Quieter there, but another of the under-18s who is well established now.”
Big potential
The 18-year-old recently earned a new deal at the back end of November and it appears as though that has spurred him on in terms of his performances.
Jenkins hasn’t yet featured for the first team but it says a lot about his potential that he’s overshadowing McCalmont, a player that’s featured on two occasions for Leeds’ first-team this term.
Not only that, but the Northern Irishman has even featured for his country at senior level in 2019/20.
It bodes particularly well that Jenkins is making such tremendous strides and the fact he’s a versatile individual should only help his cause in terms of making Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team plans.
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Normally a central midfielder, the way he slotted into right-back in the second period should stand him in good stead. Bielsa has relied on versatile players with great regularity this season, particularly with individuals like Stuart Dallas.
He’s another player to have featured both in midfield and in defence, alongside Alioski.
Jenkins currently has a contract until the summer of 2023 so he’s certainly someone to keep an eye on between now and then.
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