Michael Skubala couldn’t be happier with the way ‘goal machine’ Sonny Perkins has settled in at Leeds United. Perkins joined the Whites from West Ham United over the summer after making the decision to turn down a professional deal at the London Stadium, much to the disappointment of the London club.
Perkins has wasted no time in showing his talent and potential at Elland Road, though, with six goals coming in his first five outings for the club’s Under-21s. The 18-year-old has scored in every appearance he has made for United, with his latest coming during the Whites’ 6-2 win over Southampton on Friday night.
His goals have seen Leeds establish themselves at the top of the Premier League 2 Division 2 table and Skubala will be keen to see him build on his impressive start in West Yorkshire and fire Leeds back towards the top flight of youth football. The U21s boss knows Perkins well having worked with him on England U18s duty and he’s more than aware of the talent he possesses, particularly in front of goal.
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Skubala is quick to point out that Perkins still has room for improvement, but he’s delighted to see him slot so seamlessly into Leeds life.
“Yeah, he's hit the ground running,” Skubala said after watching his side demolish Southampton on Friday night. “It's funny, he's always scored with me and I don't know why.
“So we've got this little thing going on the dressing room, like ‘don't let me down today’. He's brilliant, but I think he's hit the ground running and I think you can see him growing. He's strong. He's a goal machine.
“We have to be patient because he's still got things to work on in the way we want to play but I think he's pleased at the minute and we're pleased with his progression.”
Perkins has been training with the first-team at Thorp Arch under the watchful eye of Jesse Marsch, but he will spend the next few days away on international duty with England U19s, alongside his Leeds teammate Darko Gyabi. The Three Lions will travel to Denmark in the coming days to take on Montenegro, Georgia and Denmark in qualifiers for the 2023 UEFA European U19 Championship.
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