‘Next big star’, ‘Bossing it’ – Many Leeds fans blown away by U23s star v Crystal Palace
Leeds United under-23s cruised to three points on Sunday afternoon in their 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at Thorp Arch.
The young Whites romped into a two-goal lead in the first half, with Cody Drameh’s deflected cross and Joe Gelhardt’s penalty nothing more than they deserved.
An unstoppable long-range strike got Palace back into the game, but Gelhardt responded with his second to ease the nerves.
Mark Jackson will have been delighted with the dominance on show in the first half, but things definitely changed in the second.
The midfield and defence were certainly tested more, and Jack Jenkins was centre of keeping the Londoners out.
The young midfielder often goes under-the-radar in this academy filled with superstars, but his box-to-box role is key for the Whites.
Jenkins was superb once again, making sure that nearly every single counter-attack from Palace was sniffed out and brought to an end as soon as they began.
Midfield is an area of trouble for Leeds with Kalvin Phillips currently injured, and Jenkins will be taking inspiration from the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Pascal Struijk when looking to make that step up.
Many Leeds fans have reacted to the performance of Jenkins, as he finally gets the recognition he deserves.
The majority of those were blown away by the midfielder, suggesting it won’t be long until he finally gets the chance to impress Marcelo Bielsa.
MOT Leeds News have picked out some of the best reactions below…
In other Leeds United news, pundit predicts where the Whites will finish in Premier League
Be sure to follow MOT Leeds News on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Whites and more exclusive content with Paul Robinson.