Leeds United have played one of the most exciting brands of football in the league so far, and everyone from the manager to the midfielder to the forwards are getting plaudits on how the team has been transformed in a short span of time. Amongst all this, a certain 21-year-old has gone about his business quietly and has seemingly established himself as a first-team regular now. We are talking about United’s custodian Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Last season, Felix Weidwald was brought in from the Bundesliga, but his dismal performance gave Leeds United’s academy product a chance to showcase his talent in the latter half of the season. The move turned out to be a right one as the 21-year-old showed why he was so highly rated in the youth setup. There were some errors in his game last season, but that experience seems to have helped him a lot as this season he looks much more robust in between the sticks. Credit to Paul Heckingbottom for integrating him into the first eleven last campaign which is providing good dividends this term.
Even though Marcelo Bielsa brought in the highly rated Chelsea custodian Jamal Blackman on loan, the manager persisted with the Northern Irishman since the start of the season, and the young stopper hasn’t disappointed his manager.
Such has been Peacock Farrell’s form that Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill recently gave him a chance to represent his nation in the UEFA Nations League tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina. O’Neill looked happy with the youngster’s performance and was quoted as saying,”Bailey will be disappointed to concede two goals on his debut but I felt he looked assured and confident. I was delighted with Bailey. I thought he acquitted himself very well. He had no chance with the first goal. He looked very assured in everything else that he did.”
One of the features of the current Whites side is that they build from the back and even though the opposition players press high, United stick to their guns. Playing like that often involves going back to the goalkeeper, and Peacock Farrell looks quite assured with the ball under his feet. The 21-year-old is still learning to take on the new responsibilities but the signs are there that he can handle this kind of game plan.
By no means, he is on the peak of his powers, and the young stopper can definitely work on his game more. United would be delighted to have such a confident goalkeeper at their disposal now. Playing for his nation should boost Peacock Farrell’s confidence further, and he definitely can play a crucial role in guiding this side towards Premier League qualifications.
