Leeds United teenager Jamie Shackleton is set for a more advanced first team role next season after changing manager Marcelo Bielsa’s mind over where he should be playing, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The newspaper claim on their website that the 19-year-old, who enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season at Elland Road, is set to be considered as more than just a fringe player over the summer and into next season, but that his performances mean Bielsa’s perceptions have shifted.
The youngster, who cam through the youth ranks as a midfielder, was shoehorned into the right back role for much of his first team games in the 2018/19 campaign but his abilities are said to have convinced the manager the centre of the pitch is where he is best suited.
Opinion
Shackleton is the sort of player who would play anywhere the manager asked him to, which is just one of the attributes which makes him such a highly respected youngster. His work ethic is exceptional and you can understand why Bielsa thought he might make a good right back, with pace, tenacity, defensive nous and the ability to have an impact at the other end of the pitch too. However, it is quite clear he is best suited to playing in the midfield and you can expect to see much more of him next season. It is perhaps a good thing for him that Leeds were not promoted – he might not have played much had they been playing Premier League football next season and so another season in the Championship gives him the opportunity to stake a claim for a starting role. After what the Elland Road faithful have seen this season, do not put it past the youngster to be named among the first line up of the season. Big things are expected for Shackleton – now he just have to live up to expectation.