After a run of horrible results, Paul Heckingbottom finally won his first game at Elland Road at the weekend. They have an outside chance to end the season with a shot at promotion, and the final few games of the campaign will have a serious impact on the future of the manager and the club.
Heckingbottom will, however, plan for the long-term future and has already been linked with some exciting stars, who could help the club in the future. One such player, they will certainly look to sign in the summer is Scottish teenager Harry Cochrane.
The 16-year old started his football at Ranger but moved to Hearts in 2014 and slowly rose through the ranks. He broke into the first team this season under Craig Levein, who has shown great faith in his abilities, at such a young age.
A central midfielder, comfortable playing in an attacking role, Cochrane has already shown that he belongs at the highest level, when he ended Glasgow giants Celtic’s unbeaten run, not so long ago.
He has 13 Premiership appearances in Scotland and has turned into an integral part of the squad under Levein. He has represented the Scotland U16 side five times already in his career and is destined to play for the best in the country.
The Whites from the Championship had an eye on Cochrane even before he broke into the first team at Hearts. They enquired about his availability before the start of the current campaign but the youngster took a good decision to continue his development at Riccarton Academy for another year.
However, he has shown lots of promise this season and this has attracted interests from Premier League clubs for a move this summer. Reports claim that Chris Hughton has made the 16-year old a priority transfer target for the summer and that the Brighton will rival Leeds to the signature of Cochrane.
The Seagulls have an advantage if they stay in the top flight this season but Leeds can offer the Scot the lure of game time, which could be enough to land him in the summer.
But for Cochrane, it is probably best for him to stay at Hearts for at least another couple of seasons and continue to gain exposure in the Scottish top flight. He is a gifted player who has potential to turn into one of the best in the near future but do you think Leeds can beat other clubs to his signature?
