Leeds United manager Paul Heckingbottom has explained that academy striker Jack Clarke has impressed lately, but insists that young players will only get a promotion to the first team if they are deemed good enough to make an instant impact.
The centre-forward is a product of the club’s academy and was starring for the Under-18s side earlier in the campaign.
Clarke, 17, has also been given chances at a higher level in the Under-23s outfit and managed to caught the eye of the senior boss.
Heckingbottom has praised the performances of the English teenager and stated that young talents will be drafted up to the senior team when they are good enough.
Both Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Tom Pearce have played at senior level for the Yorkshire giants recently, with the Championship season petering out for mid-table Leeds.
“He (Jack Clarke) is another young boy where he has been pushed up to Under-23s and performed well,” Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Leeds (6:50pm, 21 March).
“We need to provide a clear pathway to the first team, but that will only happen if they are good enough.”
OPINION
There is a real belief that Leeds are producing some talented young players in their ranks, with first teamers Ronaldo Vieira and Kalvin Phillips examples of that recently. Heckingbottom has the perfect opportunity in the remaining eight league games to perhaps trial a few emerging talents at senior level and see if they are cut out for it yet. However, he needs to ensure that they are not throwing them too far in at the deep end and it could be a step too far for Clarke as it stands. Jay-Roy Grot is a youngster that Leeds should be testing out in the rest of the season and seeing if he is up to scraps.