Lewis Bate: the versatile former Chelsea midfielder who wants trophies with Leeds United - YEP 6/10/21
Of the clutch of bright young prospects Leeds United have snagged in the last few years, 18-year-old Lewis Bate could be the jewel in the crown.
By Flora Snelson
Both a sharp passer and a strong dribbler, Bates won’t shy
away from a big tackle and likes to pull the strings from the heart of the
midfield, where he suits the number 10, 8, or 6 role.
A versatile player who is fizzing with talent, Bate has
wowed fans with his performances under Mark Jackson, having featured in every
minute of the Under-23s’ PL2 campaign so far after arriving at Thorp Arch from
Chelsea over the summer.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Mason
Mount, Bate had been progressing well at the West London club, and broke into
the Blues’ Under-23s side at the end of the 2019/2020 season aged just 17.
That summer he twice featured in the senior matchday squad,
first making the bench in a Premier League clash with Sheffield United before
travelling to Bayern Munich with Frank Lampard’s side for a Champions’ League
tie.
After reaching the fringes of the first team, Bate’s
progress plateaued; having been championed by Lampard’s assistant Jody Morris,
the departure of the pair in January 2021 signalled the halt of Bate’s rise.
With the pathway at Chelsea too saturated with talent for
Bate to muscle his way through, the Londoner turned his attention to
opportunities elsewhere and, despite interest from several Premier League
clubs, including Liverpool, it was the dream sold by Victor Orta at Leeds
United which most appealed to the young player.
On his arrival at Elland Road, Bate reported that his
ambitions for the switch were to ‘play first team football and win trophies
with Leeds United.’
‘I know how big the club is and I know how they play
football,” he said, “Bielsa’s methodology and how he wants to play suits my
game.’
Bate’s game certainly suits Bielsa, too. With Bielsa’s
preference for a narrow squad comes the prizing of versatility, and the
Argentine’s need for players who can succeed in a range of roles has come to
the fore as a cluster of injuries have forced the Whites to improvise on
several outings at the start of this season.
The midfielder, who is due to turn 19 later this month, has
been called up by Andy Edwards for the latest round of England Under-20s
fixtures. Bate played half a game in the Young Lions’ 6-1 battering of Romania
last month, and could feature against Italy at Chesterfield FC on Thursday
night.
