Leaps from the academy to Leeds United’s first team have formed one of the big topics in this season’s difficult run to 17th place with four matches to play. Investment, at least in January, was resisted for fear of stifling the development pathways of Lewis Bate and Joe Gelhardt among others.
Angus Kinnear’s programme notes on that matter have never been far from supporters’ minds as they have watched their club fail to fight their way clear of the bottom three. Gelhardt may have breached 500 minutes in the Premier League, but Leo Hjelde, Sam Greenwood, Charlie Cresswell, Crysencio Summerville and Bate have barely played 600 minutes between them.
The time for inquests on decisions made in January and the like will come in due course, but as it stands, Pascal Struijk remains the poster boy for proven leaps from Thorp Arch’s academy to Elland Road’s first team. Injuries have hindered Jamie Shackleton’s own progress along that pathway, but Struijk is already onto 61 appearances with 48 starts for the first team since his debut under Marcelo Bielsa in December 2019.
