Phil Hay: Leeds 20y/o who started v Crawley 'likely' to leave club on loan

Athletic journalist Phil Hay has said that young Leeds United centre-back Oliver Casey is "likely to leave on loan" in the last few days of the winter window. 

That could be it for Leeds with no incomings expected.

Casey, 20, has seen some first-team action this season, with a start in the EFL Cup loss against Blackpool and 45 minutes in the FA Cup defeat v Crawley.

Hay posted the news on his personal Twitter account on Thursday.

Casey needs to impress 

It's a big jump up from the Under-23s to the first-team and Casey has found that out this season.

He came in for a huge amount of criticism from fans after his horror show against Crawley, but to be fair to him we don't think the loss was his fault.

The changes that Bielsa made in that game were wrong and Casey was thrown in at the deep end without an aid.

Talking after the game Bielsa said, "I think that the three young lads, Jenkins, Casey and Greenwood, they had to play the most difficult minutes. I can't hold any player as responsible for the defeat, especially not the younger ones for the unbalance that was in the game."

He also said that Casey, among others, had deserved first-team minutes after their displays for the Under-23s.

Casey has made eight starts in the Premier League 2 this season and has helped his side to the top of the league.

However, Bielsa obviously feels that his development is now best suited with first-team football elsewhere.

That is likely to be at League One level and Casey is going to have to prove that he still has what it takes to impress Bielsa on his return.

We wish him the very best of luck.

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