How Leeds United have uncovered a Premier League gem in Pascal Struijk - YEP 29/1/22
Pascal Struijk’s rise at Leeds United has been nothing short of remarkable.
By Tom Morley
The former Ajax defender has stepped up over the last few years
making him arguably one of the best young defenders in the Premier League under
Marcelo Bielsa.
But the injury crisis that has plagued Bielsa and Leeds has
also seen Struijk miss a chunk of the season.
On Saturday, together with partner Diego Llorente, he helped
contain Newcastle United, with Leeds controlling the game for large periods
despite falling to a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick 15 minutes from time.
Struijk coped well with the threat of Chris Wood,
marshalling the former Leeds forward and limiting him to half chances.
He stepped in when he needed to, and won the ball well in
the air, a trait that has been synonymous with his game during his time in West
Yorkshire.
It does beg the question however, what does the future hold?
Leeds have an ageing spine, Liam Cooper, Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas are all
30.
That’s where Struijk comes in. When played alongside
Llorente at centre-back, the pair look one of the best partnerships Leeds have
had since their return to the best league in the world.
Both having a similar playing style of building attacks
while also having the awareness to cut off and isolate attackers.
West Ham United away was a key example of that, the chips
were down and the job of containing an explosive Michail Antonio didn’t faze
Strujik, he was physical, aggressive but also gave Leeds solidity.
It was a performance that Leeds have come to expect from
him. It truly does show how Leeds have got their academy recruitment so right
in recent years, with Struijk being a player brought in from Ajax, a club known
for its pedigree of total football, a philosophy created there by the great
Johan Cruyff.
Struijk is a player that fits the bill perfectly, a talent
that will be at Leeds for a while and, all being well, he is the future.
