BAILEY PEACOCK-FARRELL

AGE: 21 CLUB: LEEDS UNITED 2018-19 APPS: 8 POSITION: GOALKEEPER VALUE: £2.5M WHAT HAS HE GOT?

THE re-emergence of Leeds United is potentially exciting and a comfortable last line of defence has come to the fore. It is never easy for a young goalkeeper to gain his manager’s confidence and be given responsibility in a key position. Older generations may recall that in the 1978 League Cup final against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest’s 18-year-old Chris Woods was given the No 1 jersey. That was a brave decision but, like Brian Clough, maybe Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has not only the confidence but also that shade of eccentricity needed to make big calls. Certainly when I saw him, the boy ‘done good’. Beaten by a penalty (when he gambled and dived too early) he was otherwise more than competent. Only once late in the game was he unbalanced as he rose against the opposition’s tall substitute striker and did not punch well. Left-footed, he kicked long and when enticing the opposition forward to press, he showed accurate shorter passing to his defenders. A long ball down the middle was headed away in style as he raced off his line and read the bounce well. Then, from an errant defensive pass, a snap-shot gave him a chance to spread himself and fly low to his left.

WHAT DOES HE NEED?

HE was not perfect the day I watched him. One 25-yard shot nearly caught him out as he sprang to his left but failed to tip the ball over and it feathered the bar. I was not sure about his personality as it is always difficult to tell. But he organised his wall well for a free-kick and sorted the marking out at the near post for a corner. He communicated well and that is half the battle. His final act of the game was a brave goal-line block which the crowd loudly acclaimed. They like him at Elland Road and for one so young he is making an impression. Indeed this was recognised recently when he was given his first cap for Northern Ireland. He needs to carry on playing every week — nothing beats experience.