Leeds United coach Michal Pujdak gushes over Diogo Monteiro
Leeds United under-21s assistant coach Michal Pujdak has been left gushing over the performance of January signing Diogo Monteiro this week.
The centre-back played out of position at right-back on Monday, 6 March, as the Leeds Under-21s defeated the Derby County side.
His performance in that game garnered praise from a number of people and no less, Paco Gallardo and Pujdak, who believed he would thrive in a new role.
Via LeedsLive [8 March], he said, “Fantastic professional. He’s still very young and people forget how young he is.
“He had to fill in at right-back tonight but he did a really good job, very professional and defensively solid. He’s comfortable in possession of the ball and at the training ground, he’s a top, top professional.
“He wants to do extras and develop all aspects of his game, he wants to do video sessions and extra tactical practice. I think he will be good, he’s got big potential and we are definitely going to benefit from him going through the experience of playing under-21s football, getting ready for the first-team.”
Good signing
We may be reading too much into it, but from the initial reactions, Monteiro appears to be a proper signing who looks good for the future.
He’s slotted into the playing XI of the Under-21s seamlessly even though it was a change in weather and perhaps in the style of play as well.
While it may not be professional football, players still take time to bed in, but not the 18-year-old who’s become one of the first names on the team sheet.
It’s good to see the Under-21s doing well and that’s a testament to the work the club puts in behind the scenes in order to make Thorp Arch the setup that it is.
We cannot wait to see more of Monteiro and if he keeps performing like this Javi Gracia is certainly going to find it hard to ignore him.
Right now, perhaps the best thing for him to do is continue putting in solid performances for the reserves and getting better at his trade.
In other Leeds United news, the club may now face a losing battle to keep their star player at Elland Road beyond the summer transfer window.
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