'He's a dying breed' - Leeds United Under-23s star handed new Elland Road deal - YEP 25/8/21
Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell has put pen to paper on a new four-year deal at Elland Road.
By Joe Urquhart
The 19-year-old - who is the current captain of the club's
Under-23s outfit - has made one senior appearance for the Whites so far, which
came against Hull City in last season's Carabao Cup competition.
Cresswell was part of Mark Jackson's title winners in the
Premier League 2 last term at development level and has featured in both games
in the top division so far in his head coach's guidance.
He was also named on the bench in the top flight under first
team boss Marcelo Bielsa against Everton and again in midweek for the hosting
of League One Crewe Alexandra.
Cresswell's performances also earned him a call-up for the
England Under-19s in the 2020/21 campaign along with a Player of the Season
nomination at academy level.
United have now rewarded one of the club's brightest Thorp
Arch talents with a deal until the summer of 2025.
"I think it's a dying breed in the modern game,"
Under-23s head coach Jackson said of his centre-back after defeat to Tottenham
Hotspur on Monday afternoon.
"I tried to be quite vocal myself when I was a player,
nowhere near the ability of Charlie or the players in this group but I tried to
talk.
"Charlie's got that, he understands how to lead and
we've been working with him a long time, in the academy even, when he first
broke through in the 18s as a 16-year-old, [working] on his leadership skills.
"But like anything, with his football skills,
leadership skills can be developed. Even on the bench in the second half, he's
still talking behind me so that's a positive because you don't find many of
them these days and we've got to try and embrace that, he's got to try embrace
it and develop it as well - and that's a real positive within his game."
