Niall Huggins departs Leeds United following Marcelo Bielsa admission about young Whites talent - YEP 20/8/21

-


Niall Huggins has left Leeds United on a permanent basis to join League One side Sunderland on a four-year deal.

By Lee Sobot

Huggins joined the Whites back in 2009 and signed his first professional contract with the club in May 2019.

Best recognised as a full back, the 20-year-old made his first team debut in the 4-2 defeat at Arsenal in February of this year.

Huggins has been capped three times for Wales under-21s but Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa said this week that he was mindful that the defender might need to move in order to further his progress.

"Nothing has happened that wasn't what we looked at before," said Bielsa, asked about Huggins.

"The young players of Gotts, Huggins, Stevens, Hosannah, Edmondson, these players who are part of the Academy/the under 23s team in the previous seasons, they have a process of development and growth.

"When they get up to a high or a peak during this process and development like has been for each of these players that I have named, they have to compete for a place in a group that is very small which is the group that is chosen for the season.

"In this case that you are referring to, Ayling, Dallas and Shackleton are all players that play in the position that he plays in.

"If I see clearly that at this moment in time that he hasn't got the chances to overcome these players at the club and if I keep him at the club knowing this instead of favouring his development or helping his development then I am hindering him.

"For all these youngsters, it would be ideal for them to be in the group that competes in the Premier League but if they are not here there comes a moment that instead of staying competing in the under-23s, they need to look for a competition that is higher than the under 23s because if not their progress will be stalled."

Huggins, who can play on both defensive flanks and in central midfield, told Sunderland's official website: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be here and as soon as the opportunity arose, I knew straight away that this was a huge opportunity for me to develop my game.

"For me, the thing I want to do now is play first-team football, so to have seen some of the young lads coming in and having a chance to prove themselves, and seeing the fans’ reaction to it, is really good and it made me want to come here even more. I’m really excited to get started."

Sunderland boss Lee Johnson added: “Niall is an interesting player and tactically he’s very versatile – he is also very good physically in terms of his speed and acceleration and he’s a good dribbler, whether that’s playing left back or right back.

"He’s a bright kid and he’s had a very good education at Leeds, but now it’s the right time for him to step into that first-team environment. "Niall is another one that we have added to our stable of quality young players, so we are very happy to have him and we’re looking forward to working with him."

A Leeds United spokesperson said: "We would like to take this opportunity to wish Niall every success for the future, he has been a credit to the club and we are sure he will achieve great things in his career."

Popular posts from this blog

The huge initial fee Leeds are set to receive for Crysencio Summerville’s move to West Ham — Leeds United News 31/7/24

-
Will Butcher West Ham United are closing in on a deal to sign Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United, and Ben Jacobs has shared how much Leeds will receive for the Dutchman. The 22-year-old has been strongly linked with the Elland Road exit door all summer and was targeted as the one big sale Leeds needed to make before the Profit & Sustainability Rules deadline this month. But instead, Leeds sold Archie Gray for £40m to Tottenham. Leeds have since sold five more players in the form of Diego Llorente, Marc Roca, Kris Klaesson and Charlie Cresswell – raking in around £60m in total. But more exits were always likely and Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday afternoon that West Ham had agreed personal terms with Summerville, and talks for a fee were ongoing with the Yorkshire side. Now, the story has moved on with multiple sources claiming a deal is done between Leeds and Angus Kinnear’s old club. The Dutchman is expected to sign a five-year at the London Stadium, until Jun...
Read more

Leeds United board break silence after transfer window with statement on upcoming Elland Road development — YEP 2/9/24

-
By Joe Donnohue Leeds United have confirmed supporters' commemorative stones at Elland Road's Centenary Square will be replaced free of charge in a bid to improve their longevity. Beginning next month, Leeds supporters' personalised stones will be replaced with exact replicas, courtesy of a new company, to ensure of a 'much better quality' installation. The work is expected to take around two months to complete. An official club statement confirmed 'three larger stones dedicated to former managers Don Revie, Howard Wilkinson and Marcelo Bielsa' will also be installed, 'similar to those located in Bremner Square', while additional space for supporters to purchase new stones has also been factored into the project. “The club have taken on board recent feedback from supporters on the stones at Centenary Square, and we are really happy that we can now announce that all of the stones will be replaced," chief executive Angus Kinnear confirmed,...
Read more

Leeds United transfer state of play as Whites knock back low bid and assert wing pair stance — YEP 3/7/24

-
By Graham Smyth Leeds United are not actively looking to cash in on Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto and believe any further outgoing transfer business will be done on their terms. The Whites, who sold Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday for £40m, expect that there will be continued interest in wing pair Summerville and Gnonto as the summer transfer window progresses. Summerville has been a target for Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion but their interest has not yet materialised into a bid. The Albion did, however, send a £30m proposal for Georginio Rutter, which Elland Road chiefs rejected. Rutter is not expected to try and force an exit this summer and appears settled at Leeds after a far more positive second season in English football. The sale of Gray has helped put Leeds into a position where they do not need to sell star players and can dictate any moves that do happen. Club sources say they are not actively looking to sell the likes of Summerville o...
Read more