Sam Allardyce given Leeds United wildcards by Craig Dean, he stayed when Victor Orta left
The name of Craig Dean won’t be familiar to all Leeds United supporters, but already his impact is paying off, as Sam Allardyce strives to avoid relegation to the Championship, as reported by Mike McGrath for the Telegraph.
His important role in finding and then setting young players on the path to first-team involvement was highlighted on Saturday by Willy Gnonto and Sam Greenwood.
At such a pivotal time for the club, necessity has forced Allardyce to turn to youth in what could be a blessing in disguise for the Whites.
The feature from McGrath set out the importance of the ongoing work that Dean is responsible for, calling him an unsung hero who has delivered some wildcards.
“Fans called for Willy Gnonto during the draw against Newcastle United and he came off the bench to help earn a valuable point in the bid for Premier League survival,” he said.
“Sam Greenwood started the match and played a part in getting a penalty that should have secured victory.
“Allardyce has stated he needs a Jermain Defoe in his ranks like he did when Sunderland beat the drop. What he has is wildcard youngsters with the potential to turn matches against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
“The mastermind behind the likes of Greenwood arriving from other academies is Craig Dean, Leeds’ head of emerging talent. A former scout for the Football Association, he then held roles at Newcastle and Oxford before arriving at Elland Road five years ago.”
The time is now
It doesn’t matter who, but Leeds needs their heroes to emerge immediately.
If their Premier League status is to be retained, they will probably need to win their final two fixtures, against West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
There is no extensive depth of quality in the squad at Elland Road, nor too many options for Big Sam at this late stage but he does have the club’s prospects to turn to, and they are already making a contribution.
In the here and now, Dean’s work has helped provide Allardyce with the likes of Greenwood, Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville. They could be instant heroes but what is more likely is that they will survive and live to fight another day.
With the obvious cutbacks that would follow relegation, Leeds would need a base of talented players to lead the charge back to the Premier League.
The green shoots of progress are already evident in that regard.
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