Over the previous few years, Leeds United have loved a substantial amount of success in bringing thrilling youth prospects into Thorp Arch within the switch market, earlier than unleashing probably the most gifted of those gamers of their first-team squad.
Certainly, the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Illan Meslier and Pascal Struijk have all made the transfer to Elland Highway in latest seasons, earlier than occurring to ascertain themselves as regulars in Jesse Marsch’s senior facet.
Nevertheless, whereas there was a substantial amount of fanfare relating to the primary 4 of those aforementioned starlets, one participant whose growth at Elland Highway has maybe been missed considerably is that of 23-year-old defender Struijk.
Upon becoming a member of Leeds from the Ajax academy again in January of 2018, The Specific ran a report which highlighted the Whites supporters’ unhappiness with the previous Netherlands U17 worldwide’s signing – with many stating their perception that Victor Orta ought to have been focusing his consideration on enhancements to the primary crew, moderately than signing youth prospects.
Now four-and-a-half-years on from his arrival, you’d be exhausting pressed to discover a supporter of the assumption that the centre-back’s signing was a foul one by the Spanish director of soccer, as Struijk is now very a lot a key a part of the Whites’ beginning XI.
The defender first began to catch the attention over his 27 Premier League appearances again in 2020/21, a marketing campaign wherein the £16.2m-rated expertise helped his facet hold seven clear sheets and scored one objective, in addition to made a mean of 1.8 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 3.1 clearances, 41.3 passes, 2.3 lengthy balls and received 3.9 duels – at a hit fee of 53% – per recreation.
These metrics not solely noticed the Dutchman common a particularly spectacular SofaScore match score of 6.94 that season – rating him because the membership’s joint Tenth-best performer within the league – but in addition display each the 23-year-old’s solidity when defending and his capability to play the ball out from the again.
Moreover, membership captain Liam Cooper fairly clearly believes that Struijk has a particularly brilliant future forward of him within the recreation, with the 31-year-old stating of his teammate again in February this 12 months:
“Pascal has completely every little thing to be probably the greatest centre-backs on the market, he actually has. He’s unbelievable on the ball, he’s robust, good within the air. I at all times knew. Everyone knows now. His enchancment speaks for itself.”
This season, the teenager’s spectacular positional versatility – with the ability to function from centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield – has already confirmed helpful for Jesse Marsch, who has deployed the previous Ajax starlet on the left of his again 4 in every of the Whites’ six Premier League fixtures in 2021/22 – on account of Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas’ respective accidents.
As such, whereas the price of Struijk’s signing was by no means formally launched, contemplating his age and the truth that Ajax appeared more than pleased to half with the teenager, it may be moderately assumed that the switch didn’t break the financial institution for the Whites – main us to imagine that Orta very a lot hit the jackpot when touchdown the £7k-per-week sensation again in 2018.