Leeds United figure reveals recruitment update in wake of Victor Orta exit
Leeds United academy manager Adam Underwood says the club will “continue to push” youth development at Elland Road, with recruitment a “key” part.
The update comes following the recent exit of director of football Victor Orta, who left the club alongside manager Javi Gracia.
Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville are two examples of emerging talents that Leeds have signed in recent years.
“I think it’s really important to acknowledge that all the players we’ve recruited up to this point, have their own individual plans and they’re our individual projects, right?” Underwood told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “We want to see those guys through. That’s our responsibility.
“We wouldn’t have brought those players to the club and blended them with our best local talent if we didn’t believe that out of those crops of players year-on-year, we could produce first-team players for Leeds United.
“We will absolutely continue to push our youth development in this club and make sure that we can realise our vision of developing players at the highest level and pushing them through, recruitment is obviously a key part of that.”
Constant line of young stars
Leeds have not been anywhere near their best this season, with the Whites currently heavily involved in a relegation battle.
They sit in the relegation zone with just two matches remaining, with Sam Allardyce recently brought in to try and pull off another Premier League miracle.
There have not been enough leaders at Elland Road this season, with the club’s senior players failing to hit the heights expected of them.
However, there are at least some reasons to be excited about the future, primarily thanks to the young stars that are coming through.
Current first-teamers Greenwood and Summerville, as well as Wilfried Gnonto, have ensured that the Whites have a good chance of bouncing immediately back to the top flight if they are to drop down to the Championship this season.
There are also various academy talents who look ready to make the step up, including Archie Gray, Darko Gyabi, Mateo Joseph and Sonny Perkins among others.
In other Leeds United news, there is “huge uncertainty” surrounding one player’s future at Elland Road, according to former Bleacher Report journalist Dean Jones.