A round-up of the latest Leeds United news this morning, Thursday, 28 July.
Jamie Shackleton opens up Jesse Marsch conversation prior to Elland Road exit
Leeds United academy graduate Jamie Shackleton has revealed more game time was the main reason behind his Whites exit this summer. The 22-year-old will spend the season on loan with Championship side Millwall following a conversation with Leeds boss Jesse Marsch.
“It’s been just over a week now and I feel like I’ve settled in well and I’ve enjoyed the first few games,” Shackleton told NewsAtDen.
“Different coaches have different styles of training and how they want to play on matchdays. We prepare ourselves through the week in a different way to what previous my managers have done.
READ MORE: Kiko Casilla's Leeds United fate, 10 possible exits and Elland Road development
“I hope I’ll be able to show off the quality that I think I’ve got. I spoke to the manager before joining and I feel that the way we want to play and the position I want to take up, it suits the qualities that I believe I’ve got. I think it’s a great club and a great place to show that.
“I spoke with Jesse [Marsch] and between us we decided that the most important thing at this stage of my career is to play football, which I already had in my mind. That’s what I enjoy doing and that’s what I want to be doing non-stop. That was a key part of the decision to join."
Tyler Adams makes Archie Gray comparison and predicts 'big opportunities'
Tyler Adams was just 16-year-old when he made his first appearance under Jesse Marsch. The midfielder was with New York Red Bulls at the time and after impressing in the club’s reserve ranks, the head coach gave him the chance to shine in a first-team friendly against Chelsea.
He more than took his opportunity, scoring with a header as the Red Bulls won 4-2, before going on to become a regular in Marsch’s plans. As such, having started his professional career under the current Leeds United boss at such a young age, it’s fair to say Adams knows all about the path that Archie Gray seems to find himself on.
Gray, who doesn’t turn 17 until March, has been training with the first-team this summer and he was selected to travel to Australia, where he made quite an impression, despite his limited game time. The youngster made two short appearances against Brisbane Roar and Aston Villa but was forced off the field through injury in the latter and as a result he watched the club’s final game of their tour Down Under from the bench.
Klich facing Leeds United dilemma forgotten since Christiansen's era
Only one of the senior, fit Leeds United players failed to start any of the three friendlies in Australia. Mateusz Klich has more Whites appearances than all but three members of the current squad, but the popular Pole is facing his biggest fight for minutes since Thomas Christiansen shipped him out in 2018.
If the trend began with Jesse Marsch’s chopping and changing with Klich down the 2022 run-in (one 90-minute run-out in 12 games), it continued on tour where he was evidently down the pecking order. The head coach appears to have settled on 4-2-3-1 as his primary formation with Leeds and Klich is one of those competing for the central attacking midfielder berth.
Brenden Aaronson and Rodrigo are Marsch’s preferred picks behind a striker with 20-year-old Sam Greenwood’s versatility even meaning he has seen more action than Klich this summer. Once he was left out of the starting line-up and subsequent raft of half-time substitutes in Perth, Klich’s status was only underlined.
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