Who is Luke Matykiewicz? The latest Leeds United gem to sign professional contract
Luke Matykiewicz has become the latest Leeds United youngster to sign a first professional contract.
The 18-year-old defender has committed his immediate future to the Elland Road club.
The Peacocks announced the update on the centre-back's situation on Saturday.
Matykiewicz joins fellow Leeds talents like Callum Mills and Loui Whitehead after they agreed fresh terms earlier this week.
It is a promising time for the Whites, with some of their most promising gems agreeing to remain in LS11.
They will hope to get their chance under Daniel Farke in the senior side, sooner rather than later.
How long is Luke Matykiewicz's first senior contract with Leeds?
Matykiewicz has signed a two-year deal with the Premier League side, showing his faith in the club.
He will remain in Yorkshire until 2028 at the earliest, if both sides stick to the terms on the deal.
He is the third youngster to have agreed terms with the club, showing that they believe in their academy system.
More new deals are likely to follow in the coming days, as they have been struck in rapid fashion recently, with the Whites acting fast to secure their gems.
Who is the latest Leeds gem to earn professional deal?
Matykiewicz was part of the 2024 scholarship group, a year before the likes of Mills, Whitehead and Harry Gray.
He has been in and around the setup at Thorp Arch since the age on nine, although he officially joined at Under-14 level.
He has made 31 appearances for the Under-18s, with a total of 2,293 minutes under his belt.
The defender made his debut for Scott Gardner's Under-21 side last season, with eight appearances, for a total of 588 minutes.
He also has three caps for the Northern Ireland Under-19 national team, which shows his progress.
He has trained with Farke's senior side on a few occasions in the 2025-26 season and will hope to be handed more opportunities in the near future.
What did Matykiewicz say about new Leeds deal?
The three-cap youth international revealed that he is excited to try and emerge as a regular for the Under-21s.
He seems to be staying grounded as he did not mention trying to reach the first-team in his comments.
He said: “I am buzzing about it. I have worked pretty much since the age of four to get to this point, so to finally get a professional contract signed, especially for a club like Leeds, is a great achievement for me.
“I want to thank my family for that as well, getting me to training and matches. I joined in the U14s but I had been in and around development centres and the shadow squads from the age of nine.
“That makes it mean even more to me because I have seen what it is like for them, like the kids in the development centres, so to get the contract is really good.”
That will surely be his ambition in the long-term, but whether he reaches, may well depends on his Under-21 performances in the upcoming campaign.