Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has broken the trend of academy graduates in recent years by remaining at Elland Road. Supporters have seen countless players from the youth ranks break through into the first team, only to be sold before they get anywhere near their prime.
Phillips, though, is someone who has come through adversity at Leeds to get where he is today – overcoming the doubters that came his way during his early 20s. He then remained loyal to his boyhood club when the big boys came knocking back in 2019, which has seen him reap the rewards both for Leeds, and in the last 18 months, England.
So, amid his success at the Whites, LeedsLive have taken a look at five academy graduates who have left in recent years, and whether their career has been all the better for it.
