MOT View: Leeds starlet who has reportedly impressed Bielsa looks to have plenty of potential
Leeds United aren’t exactly short when it comes to promising young talents.
The Whites have a fantastic youth system, and whether it be the likes of Leif Davis, Jordan Stevens, or Illan Meslier, there are plenty of players who are either knocking on the door of, or are firmly in, the first team picture.
And according to Phil Hay, another starlet who could be in line for a push at Elland Road is 17-year-old winger Stuart McKinstry.
The teenager signed from Motherwell last summer, and while he has yet to make his senior bow, it is understood that Marcelo Bielsa has “taken a shine” to the wide man.
And a quick look at 45 minutes of football he put in for Scotland’s U17s last March shows us exactly why.
His team may have lost 2-0 to Portugal on the day, but McKinstry really was a standout performer.
With 100% shot accuracy, 50% cross accuracy, and a dribble success rate of 60%, as per Wyscout, he looked very sharp indeed.
As a point of reference, all of those figures are higher than Jack Harrison’s averages this term.
The main thing that stands out is McKinstry’s dribbling ability.
In the example above, the youngster picks up the ball in a promising position, high and wide on the right.
In the sense, he is an old school winger, always looking to stretch a defence and always operating with chalk on his boots.
The pleasing thing about this example is the way that he faces up to his man straight away and looks to get at him.
When he does then take on his man, he shows fantastic agility to sell him a drop of the shoulder and leave him scrambling on the floor.
What’s nice about it is that it isn’t flash or tricky as such, but simple, cunning wing play.
And there’s an end product too.
Even when the defender recovers and forces McKinstry back onto his left foot, the youngster is able to carve out just enough space for himself to deliver a cross towards the back post.
It’s his weaker foot, he’s under a lot of pressure, but he still finds his man, and should be commended for it.
It may only be a snapshot of what he can do, but it’s exciting nonetheless, and it’s easy to see why Bielsa is so enamoured.
Here’s hoping that we see plenty more of McKinstry in the future.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay says whether leaked Leeds Adidas kit is real for 2020/21 season.