Daniel Farke is wasting Lewis Bate after his exceptional promise has been unused at Leeds United
Daniel Farke must hand Leeds United starlet Lewis Bate Championship minutes this season after his exceptional promise has gone long unused.
Leeds’ Under-21 side beat Colchester Under-21s with a fanatic 3-2 victory at LNER Community Stadium in the Premier League Cup on Friday (15 September), with Bate scoring a to put Leeds 2-1 ahead after just nine minutes.
Bate’s goal, which proved crucial to Leeds’ win, was described as a “peach” by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue, as it clipped the bottom of the crossbar to set the Whites ahead.
Having made his Premier League debut and enjoyed a quality loan spell with Oxford City last season, Farke must explore the youth options in his squad.
Bate got his first taste of senior minutes with Leeds in an FA Cup clash against West Ham back in the 2021/22 season, before making his Premier League debut, also against the Hammers, just a week later.
Many expected the 20-year-old to make an impact for Leeds in the top flight, with Donnohue telling GIVEMESPORT (26 October 2021): “He’s very much another one who is going through that two-step, two-year process. He’s probably one, given his talent, that would maybe be accelerated ahead of time in that system.
“He’s played extensively for the Under-23s so far this season but hasn’t made the first-team bench.”
Since then, he has made the bench in the Championship this season. He sat next to the likes of Charlie Cresswell and Cody Drameh for the Whites’ clash against West Brom, Birmingham City and Cardiff City, but has not featured in the league this season.
He made a very brief appearance against Shrewsbury Town in Leeds’ 2-1 victory in the EFL Cup but could be getting frustrated over the lack of opportunities under Farke so far.
Granted, he is still very young, but having been tipped for an impact nearly two years ago, surely now is the time for the midfielder to make an impact at Elland Road.
With Leeds’ form to start the season indifferent at best, they went into the international break in 15th with five points from five games, Farke perhaps has a responsibility to put the club’s aims before Bate’s progression.
However, once the ship has been steadied, there must be a route for the former Chelsea academy player to continue his progression in a senior environment
In other Leeds United news, Daniel Farke has shared an injury update ahead of their trip to Millwall.