Pascal Struijk 'brilliant' as Leeds United star wows with what he did v Sheffield United

Pascal Struijk left Dean Ashton in awe with a "brilliant" moment in the first half of the showdown between Leeds United and Sheffield United.

Daniel Farke's side moved level on points with Sunderland at the top of the Championship with a 2-0 win at Elland Road on Friday (18 October) thanks to second-half goals from Struijk and Mateo Joseph.

While Struijk's half volley stole a majority of the plaudits, talkSPORT pundit Ashton was left just as blown away when the Dutchman managed to find a way to block Gustavo Hamer's effort early on in the contest.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Friday (18 October, 20:14) he said: "He did the first part brilliantly didn't he with the fake of the right-footed shot to then drag it onto his left foot.

"It was a brilliant block in the end by Struijk to almost kneel on his left knee and allow that foot to dangle just to let the ball ricochet off of it and into the hands of Meslier."

What has happened to Leeds United star Pascal Struijk at Elland Road?

Struijk is simply one of Farke's most important players at Elland Road currently and while he may not be as exciting to watch as someone like Wilfried Gnonto or Largie Ramazani, he has just as big a role to play this term.

The Dutchman has become Mr Reliable at the heart of defence following the Whites' relegation to the Championship and his partnership alongside Joe Rodon is now one of the most effective in England's second tier.

His block to deny Hamer on Friday night showed exactly why he is so important to this side. He kept his cool and spread his body as much as he feasibly could to ensure the Sheffield United star had very little of the goal to aim at.

Luckily enough, Illan Meslier managed to keep the ball out of the net this time around. Those sorts of blocks can be just as important as his goal at the other end in these sorts of games and the stand-in skipper turned up when it mattered most.

In other Leeds United news, Junior Firpo's stance on an Elland Road exit has been shared amid links with a transfer to Real Betis

For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.