Leeds United youngster Mateo Joseph will be making his debut for the Whites this evening as Jesse Marsch’s side take on Wolves in the Carabao Cup. The 19-year-old has caught the eye playing for the U21s this season and this debut at Molineux, just before the World Cup break, is a fitting reward for his efforts.
Joseph is a striker by trade and he’ll be keen to make an impact for the Whites as Marsch aims to seal the club’s spot in the fourth round of the competition.
Here’s all you need to know about the youngster.
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What is Mateo Joseph’s background?
Born in Spain to British parents, Joseph came to Leeds' attention while playing in the youth ranks at La Liga club Espanyol. The striker was a prolific goalscorer for the club’s U19s, scoring 14 goals in 21 games during the 2020-21 campaign and he made headlines at one point by bagging a hat-trick against Barcelona.
As such, Leeds weren’t the only team interested in him with reports claiming Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona showed interest in Joseph. However, he opted for Elland Road and the move was completed in January 2022 for undisclosed fee, with United tying him down until June 2025.
Joseph immediately started training with the U23s, run by Mark Jackson at the time, and he made his Premier League 2 debut a couple of weeks later in the defeat to Blackburn Rovers. He played a bit-part role last season for the youth side, but after taking the time to settle, he has been one of Michael Skubala’s most important players this time around.
What are Mateo Joseph’s strengths?
Well, he certainly knows where the back of the net is. Joseph has scored 12 goals for the Whites in all competitions this season and he is currently the joint-top scorer in the Premier League 2, with 11 coming in the league. He bagged four in the opening day win over Derby County, while hat-tricks have come in wins over Stoke City and Middlesbrough.
However, Joseph is so much more than just goals. The striker has shown maturity and leadership this season, captaining the U21s and leading by example with his game.
The 19-year-old has been willing to lead the team press from the front and he has developed a habit of capitalising on the mistakes he has forced.
What has Mateo Joseph done this season?
Simply put, he has been the U21s’ best player this season. The likes of Sonny Perkins and Darko Gyabi have won plenty of plaudits, but Joseph has stood out and a first-team debut is exactly what he deserves.
As mentioned above, the striker started the season by notching four goals in the opening day win at Pride Park and he bagged another a week later in the draw against Norwich. His goals have helped the Whites to enter the World Cup break with a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League 2 Division 2 table.
He’s also shown he is capable of mixing it with senior opponents having fared well against Tranmere Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Crewe Alexandra in the Papa John’s Trophy. Such games were big challenges for the youngster, but he took them in his stride and looked the part, particularly at Prenton Park and the University of Bolton Stadium.
The youngster has impressed in training, too, and he has been asked to train with the first-team on a regular basis.
Has Mateo Joseph played for the first-team before?
The short answer is no, Joseph has never made a competitive appearance in the first-team. However, he did get a run out in pre-season against Blackpool and he managed to mark that outing with a goal.
He was named on the bench for a Premier League fixture for the first time last weekend against Bournemouth, but he was unused.
What has been said about Mateo Joseph?
When he joined the club, Jackson said: "He's a player we're delighted to have in the group and joining the club. He's a high potential player who we've looked at in the summer and the scouting team have done a lot of work on with regards to recruiting him and looking at how he plays."
Skubala, the club’s U21s boss, said after his latest hat-trick: “He’s in good form. He still needs to keep working hard, he’s a nine so he still needs to affect the game more as a nine. He’s in a good place, he’s scoring goals, he’s a character, but he still needs to keep working hard. His finishing ability is top drawer.”
The U21s boss has also described him as a ‘warrior’ after the September clash with Stoke: “He’s been training like a warrior and you can see that in his game.
“I think sometimes you can talk about some other players but Mateo is very humble and very quiet in a way but he’s really working hard, he’s got that energy and desire and we saw that in his goals and his finishing. He’s a threat for any defence.”
Marsch said before the first-team’s clash with Southampton in August: “I think Mateo has developed a lot since I've been here. He understands pressing and he understands how to play with intensity.
“He also has quality and a goal scoring knack. So I think because of his intelligence, because of his quality, and because of his adaptation, he has potential to be a really important player here. The four-goal match obviously is a big statement.”
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