Michael Skubala will be keeping a keen eye on the progress of Jack Jenkins during his loan at Salford City this season. The Leeds United midfielder made the move to Salford last month as the summer transfer window drew to a close and he will spend the rest of the campaign with the League Two side.
Jenkins had been a regular in the United’s Under-21s ranks prior to his move, appearing in Skubala’s midfield in Premier League 2 Division 2 wins over Derby County and Aston Villa. However, the decision was made to allow the 20-year-old to leave Thorp Arch in pursuit of first-team football.
He made an impressive start to life at the Peninsula Stadium, too, finding the back of the net in a 2-1 win over Liverpool U21s in the Papa John’s Trophy. However, he is still waiting to make his league debut for the Ammies, despite being named on the bench four times.
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Jenkins will hope to work his way into the reckoning under Neil Wood over the coming weeks and the Whites will be watching him closely.
“I think so,” Skubala said when asked whether a loan was what Jenkins needed at this vital stage of his career. “Tails (Andrew Taylor) and the club, we have good discussions and we work hard on what’s going to give these youth players the best opportunity of progressing.
“I think it’s a great time and a great offer for Jack to go out on loan and get some league football experience. It can only add to his toolbox and his experiences.
“He was doing well for us at the time but at the same point if you can go out and get some experience playing league football, he’s going to come back, I think, as a better player. That might look different for every player and part of the good challenge that I have with each player is trying to progress them and make them the best players we can so they can have the careers in the game or get into the first-team and each of those journeys will look different.”
Jenkins could be involved in the Papa John’s Trophy once more on Tuesday night as Salford host Accrington Stanley and he’ll also hope a league debut can come against Sutton United on Saturday.
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