According to one of the recent reports from Phil Hay of Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United have secured the future of their young player Robbie Gotts as he has signed a new long term contract at Elland Road which will see him stay at the club until 2022.
Gotts was in the last few months of his deal, and a new contract was always on the cards given the impressive work the 19-year-old has done with the Whites at the u-23 level. One of the biggest assets of the youngster is his versatility to play in various positions.
The Whites have used him as a right back in the u-23 games but he is also capable of playing in an advanced role in the wide region. To go with that, he can be used in central midfield as well. So as of now, we can’t say what is his nailed on position though he looks quite good while playing from the wide regions down the right.
Being a young player at Elland Road should be an exciting prospect as Marcelo Bielsa has shown enough trust in the academy players this season. Gotts is still awaiting his senior team debut but has been part of various match day squads. The way Bielsa has inducted the young players in the senior team, we don’t see Gotts’ debut being far off.
Jack Clarke, Ryan Edmondson, Jamie Shackleton, Aapo Halme, Leif Davis and William Huffer have all got their breakthrough this season in the senior team under Bielsa. Injuries to crucial players have made Bielsa turn to these young players, and he has shown that he won’t be making panic signings to replace the injured players.
Modern day football at the top level has become highly competitive, and we hardly see any young homegrown academy players given a proper run of fixtures into the first team as managers are often under pressure to deliver results. To achieve that, they turn to the transfer market to bring in experienced and proven players, and as a result, these young academy players are either sent on loan or continue playing with the reserve side. However, at Leeds United, the opportunities are there for the taking, and the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Jack Clarke have played a crucial role this season.
Gotts’ dynamism and versatility will be a major asset for the club, and the Whites will hope that he can turn out to be a crucial player for them in few years time. It remains to be seen whether Robbie has ‘Gotts’ what it takes to be successful at the top level.
