Leeds United U21s find themselves on the brink of winning the Premier League 2 Division 2 title. The young Whites sit three points clear at the top of the table and with three games to go, they’re positioned perfectly for one last push after the international break.
It’s been a season to remember so far and plenty of players have managed to showcase their potential and talent across the course of the season. Some have even made the step up to the first team on a temporary basis already.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of those who could be following in the footsteps of recent academy graduates Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville and breaking through in the not-too-distant future.
Darko Gyabi
The classy midfielder has been absolutely instrumental for the U21s this season, featuring in all but two league games. His skill and strength in the middle of the park has been unrivalled and if it wasn’t for the goals of others in the side, he may well have been the outstanding candidate for the youth team’s player of the year award.
Gyabi has been rewarded with three first-team appearances this season, with starts coming in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, while he did make his Premier League bow in December with seven minutes off the bench coming against former club Manchester City. The 19-year-old’s first season with the club has been an undoubted success and while he will be focused on winning the title, he’ll also be looking to continue his progress under Javi Gracia in the coming weeks and months.
Archie Gray
Injuries have prevented Gray from being able to build any traction so far this season and he has made just six appearances all year. However, he returned to fitness earlier this month and it seems as though he has managed to catch the eye of Gracia in first-team training.
Gray was a surprise inclusion on the bench in the FA Cup against Fulham and he travelled with the squad to Chelsea and Brighton, too, as the head coach looks to involve the 17-year-old as much as possible. The youngster put pen to paper on his first professional contract last week, too, with Leeds moving to secure his future.
He won’t get too many more opportunities for game time as the campaign nears its conclusion, but he could be one Gracia will be watching closely in pre-season.
Sonny Perkins
The striker simply could not stop scoring at the start of the season with 13 goals coming in his first 10 games for club and country. That was enough for Perkins to make the perfect first impression at Elland Road following his summer switch from West Ham United and he has seen three first-team opportunities fall his way as a result.
He was handed a start at Wolves in the Carabao Cup in November before the World Cup break and he wasted no time building on that progress in the New Year, stepping off the bench to bag the equalising goal at Cardiff City in the FA Cup. It was his first senior goal and more success has come in the U21s in recent weeks.
Perkins has plenty of competition for a first-team spot up front that much is clear, but he’s taken big strides this year and his career is certainly on a positive trajectory.
Diogo Monteiro
The Portuguese defender is still new to the club after arriving from Swiss club Servette in January, but Leeds have high hopes that he will be able to progress into the first-team picture in the not-too-distant future. Monteiro arrived in West Yorkshire with some first-team experience, having appeared on a handful of occasions in Switzerland, but he has had to make do with U21s football so far.
He has made a positive impression in the four outings he has made and it seems the coaches are happy with his attitude at Thorp Arch, too, with Michal Pujdak piling praise on the youngster recently.
Mateo Joseph
With 16 goals to his name in all competitions, it’s fair to say this season could not have realistically gone any better for Mateo Joseph. The striker is the joint-top scorer across both Premier League 2 divisions and his goals have caught the attention of Ian Foster, who called him up to the England U20s squad last week for the first time.
Of all the players on this list, Joseph has seen the most first-team opportunities with his most recent outing coming a Stamford Bridge earlier month where he was handed 22 minutes off the bench by Javi Gracia. He’s still striving to make a full breakthrough into the senior side, though, and that will surely feature highly on his list of targets over the coming months.
Charlie Allen
Allen probably hasn’t picked up the plaudits he deserves this season, but he has established himself as one of the U21s' brightest and most consistent performers across the course of the campaign. He’s played in a number of roles but he’s arguably produced his best stuff down the right flank, using his pace and ability on the ball to carve out openings.
He assisted both Joseph goals against Sunderland at the weekend and he’s managed get himself a couple of goals throughout the season, too. The Northern Ireland U21 international is still waiting for first-team recognition but Gracia has been paying attention to youth team performances and Allen’s form may well have been noted.
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