Boss Mac was key to Marius’ move
YEP 31/10/13Once Marius Zaliukas heard of Brian McDermott’s interest in him, he wasted no time in agreeing Terms at Elland Road. Phil Hay reports.
They can smell promotion in West London and understandably so with the Championship table looking as it does but Zaliukas’ productive trial with QPR did not erase all doubts – doubts about how much Harry Redknapp wanted him and how much the Lithuanian was likely to play.
Leeds ticked both of those boxes. Zaliukas says Brian McDermott was the manager who “showed the most interest in me, the one who was always in touch.” And as the centre-back made clear after his appearance in Tuesday’s Under-21 cup tie at Barnsley, he is not here to warm the bench. “I’m looking forward to getting into the first team and staying there,” he said.
McDermott will determine how quickly that happens. He was present at Oakwell to watch Zaliukas score and play out 120 minutes of a qualifying-round game which ended in defeat after extra-time. The appearance was the defender’s second for Leeds’ development squad and both games were comparable – extremely tidy for 60 minutes but tired and ragged from then on. United’s concessions ran to seven in total.
Neil Redfearn, the development squad’s coach, did not see that as a slight on Zaliukas’ performances. “In those two games he’s been playing with young lads, players on trial,” Redfearn said. “The goals we’ve conceded don’t reflect on him, not at all. He’s been mixed and matched a lot.
“He was majestic at Barnsley and he looks like a Rolls Royce to me. He was ticking over in the second gear and it seemed easy for him. He’s got another two or three gears to go up I reckon.”
Zaliukas was signed by Leeds until the end of the season last Saturday, too late to appear in McDermott’s squad at Huddersfield Town a few hours later.
This weekend’s game at home to Yeovil Town is his first chance of a senior debut and McDermott will spend the next 24 hours deciding whether to rejig the back three who conceded three goals against a depleted but committed Huddersfield side.
For Zaliukas, it is nice to merely be settled. He was out of contract for several months and completed trials with QPR and Rangers before agreeing terms with United.
“It was a long time without a contract and my situation for the last couple of months has been quite difficult,” he said. “I didn’t plan to have no club for this period of time but things happen and you need to wait for the right deal to come along.
“I accepted the situation, got on with it and now I’m here at Leeds. I’m very happy. It’s nice to be settled and be in one place – apart from being bored in the hotel. That’s football.
“The biggest thing about coming to Leeds was probably the gaffer. He showed the most interest in me and he was the one who was always in touch. He was calling, calling, calling and it was obvious that he wanted me to sign. I liked that.
“Leeds are a good team and a huge club. I was very happy to know that I had a chance to come here and you can tell from how it happened last week that I didn’t spend much time thinking about the contract. I wanted to sign it.”
The Lithuanian international is the older head among three other centre-backs – Tom Lees, Scott Wootton and Jason Pearce – with an average age of 22. Youth is a hallmark of McDermott’s current line-up in general. The 11 players who started at Huddersfield last Saturday had an average age of 25 and McDermott feels more comfortable about his squad with an experienced central defender in it.
First-team coach Redfearn talked up Zaliukas’ ability after Tuesday’s 4-3 loss, saying: “He gives you physical presence and he’s a bit of an old-fashioned centre-half. But he can play as well and he reads the game easily. For me, he’s a great signing.”
The 29-year-old last made a league appearance in May when he played in a 1-1 draw between Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen, his last outing for Hearts after seven seasons in Scotland.
In the interim he has played twice for Lithuania’s national side and gained a handful of outings in youth-team fixtures but a lengthy spell without a deal has restricted his match fitness.
McDermott’s handling of him on Saturday might be influenced by that, and by the fact that Tuesday’s game was played out over 120 minutes in wet and exhausting conditions.
“I think I’m in good shape,” Zaliukas said. “I’m working every day, I’ve had a couple of games now and I’m getting fitter all the time. I don’t feel any problem.
“It was okay (on Tuesday) and I just need to work a little bit on my power.
“We wanted to get everything finished in 90 minutes but we went through extra-time. Basically I’m good.”
McDermott might ultimately feel a sense of loyalty to Lees, Wootton and Pearce. His defence was picked apart with ease at Huddersfield but put few feet wrong during a 4-0 rout of Birmingham City six days earlier.
United’s manager said after full-time in Huddersfield that “changing everything isn’t really my style” but he was given food for thought by the conclusion of negotiations with Zaliukas and by new loan signing Dexter Blackstock appearing as a substitute and scoring with his first touch.
“We’ll see what happens,” Zaliukas said. “It’s for the gaffer to decide but my aim is always to be in the first team. That’s why I came here – to get into the first team and to play every week.
“At this level, everyone is stronger and faster (than in the Scottish Premier League). It’s more of a challenge.
“But I feel ready and I’m just delighted to have signed. I’ve waited quite a long time for things to work out."