OPINION
You expect the big name stars to come out and play when the play-offs come about but for Leeds United it was a fringe figure who dazzled.
Young Jamie Shackleton was excellent against Derby in the first leg of the semi-finals and after such an impressive performance it is quite clear he has to start the second leg.
The Whites won the first-leg 1-0 after a controversial fixture where Derby were awarded a second half penalty only for it to be overruled correctly by the linesman after a tangle of legs including Jack Harrison.
Shackleton was named amongst the substitutes at Pride Park and was introduced midway through the first half after Adam Forshaw was forced off through injury.
The youngster was phenomenal throughout the tie both going forward and sniffing out any attacks that the dangerous front five of Derby created all the way to the final whistle.
Shackleton has been mainly used off the bench under Marcelo Bielsa, who has proven he is not afraid to introduce the academy players no matter how big the occasion.
This was one of the first times where Shackleton was used in his natural position of midfield with the 19-year-old predominantly being used as an attacking wing-back in the absence of Luke Ayling earlier in the campaign.
A play-off semi-final would be a daunting task for many young players of the bench, especially in the away leg but Shackleton took it all in his stride. Coming up against an England international-in-waiting in the form of Chelsea loanee Mason Mount, the Leeds academy graduate fit straight into the place and kept the home side relatively quiet throughout the contest.
If Adam Forshaw has picked up any sort of damage, whether major or minor, then Jamie Shackleton should be the first name on the team-sheet come the second leg on Wednesday and Marcelo Bielsa could pull of a masterstroke with his inclusion.