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Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta blown away by Leeds United leader Charlie Cresswell
Andrea Radrizzani was so impressed with Leeds United youngster Charlie Cresswell that he claimed the teenager was more mature than him.
The newly-released Amazon documentary focusing on the Whites academy has given fans a look behind the scenes, and shown how highly the chairman, and sporting director Victor Orta, feel about the defender who is currently on loan at Millwall.
Cresswell has been tipped as a future captain of the senior side at Elland Road and has designs on it himself, so the conversation between the two top men at the club has done nothing to dispel that view, as they both have high praise for him, with a positive nod to fellow young defender Leo Hjelde thrown in.
Speaking about the now-20-year-old defender early in Episode four of Academy Dreams Leeds United [2min30sec] Orta says: “For me, Cresswell has the blood of a Leeds United player.”
Radrizzani agrees and adds. “He is a leader. He is a leader. At 19 he talks like more mature than me, really he is a leader.”
Orta then says: “We [have brought] another version like Hjelde, he’s the player. We never find a player [with the] self-confidence like Leo Hjelde.”
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High praise
With Liam Cooper 31 and missing for large chunks of last season, plus again in the new campaign, there have been plenty of opportunities to see how much the United backline suffers from a lack of strong leadership.
There have been significant improvements overall this year, until the 5-2 collapse at Brentford last time out (3 September), but the likes of Diego Llorente look far more assured with their captain beside them.
If the past year is anything to go by it appears that he may not be there on a regular basis, so unless Orta has eyes on a replacement in the transfer market Cresswell is surely the one they are waiting on.
Nine appearances, three goals, and an assist, in his time at The Den already suggest he is taking to regular senior football about as well as can be expected.
Considering his stature and personality that is probably no surprise on a personal level, but his impact on the pitch is very encouraging.
A full campaign in the Championship is bound to leave him in a very strong position for a much greater role in the first team next season, having so far made seven appearances for the top side.
It would be hard to overlook him admittedly, but it is clear from the new documentary that he has made a big impression on the important figures at the club.
In other Leeds United news, one member of the senior squad who has been rather more forgotten has been tipped for big things by a Barcelona legend.