Lewis Walters appears to have taken a step back in his Leeds United career after head coach Uwe Rosler failed to hand him a first team squad number for the coming season and challenged him to work hard to earn the right to step up to the senior ranks.
The 20-year-old forward took first team strides under former head coach Neil Redfearn, who delighted the youngster by fast-tracking him into the senior set-up and claimed he is ready for Championship football.
Walters, praising Redfearn, explained in February: "It's like he's fast tracking me and it feels like a really positive thing.
"It feels like it's helping me a lot to get where I want to be."
The youngster found himself on the bench for a Championship game against Watford, but now has no first team squad number, with Rosler challenging him to work hard to put himself in the mix, with the German explaining he needs to see real application over a long period.
relatedNewsStory
The German was asked about no first team squad number for Walters and was quoted as saying by BBC Radio Leeds: "We have an Under-21 group who have located their squad numbers, but they are not registered.
"I only register players who are called first team players on merit.
"Every young player has to work very, very hard to get into the first team squad.
"Lewis is on a good way, [Lewie] Coyle is on a good way. And when they continue they have a chance to be first team players.
"At the moment they train with us regularly, we see them every day. At times they are playing in the Under-21s to get match minutes.
"I like hard work over a long time and then you can call yourself a first team player.
"That is the way I've always done it and I will do the same here."
Walters signed a new one-year contract with Leeds earlier this summer, but now looks unlikely to be quickly set to make the step up to the senior side.
