MOT View: Leeds ace has surely earned reward with yet another blinder v Huddersfield
Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi made his 150th appearance for the Whites in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town.
The Swiss enforcer stepped into the back four for the second time this month with Kalvin Phillips missing for the West Yorkshire derby.
Berardi has become a great option in reserve for Marcelo Bielsa, despite his contract running out at Elland Road at the end of the season.
The 31-year-old hasn’t always had control in his game, but it is something that he has added in the past year to give Leeds much needed strength in depth at the back.
Berardi was superb against Middlesbrough earlier in the month, and he caught the eye once again on Saturday.
The defender had a brilliant pass success rate of 93.2% and kept the experienced Frazier Campbell quiet all afternoon.
According to WhoScored, Berardi also made four clearances as well as completing three tackles and two interceptions.
Andrea Radrizzani will have been impressed watching on, and could well have seen the evidence needed for him to put a new contract on the table ahead of Berardi.
Bielsa admitted after the game that he has been the most important player in recent wins for the Whites, and went further to say that everyone loves and respects the defender around the club.
With only nine games left to play, Berardi could still have a big role to play in our push for Premier League football – Berardi has certainly done enough to earn the right to experience that.
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