Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom says that making sure players have opportunities to stake a claim in the team will lead to "determination and drive".

Heckingbottom has just been appointed Leeds head coach and is taking a careful look through the squad left for him by his predecessor Thomas Christiansen.




The 40-year-old also has a number of youngsters pushing for consideration in the Under-23 ranks and Heckingbottom insists players will get chances to impress.

He feels it is essential that no players in the squad believe they are without a chance to play as they would then question why they are at Elland Road in the first place.
 


"If they are good enough, young players will get a chance", Heckingbottom was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

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"It’s part of a process, and if you have the structure and set-up right – and you can provide opportunity just by organisation – naturally people will get opportunities.

"That in itself can breed that determination and drive, because you have no one at the club sitting around and thinking, ‘I am never going to play here, what am I doing here?’.

"Everyone is turning up to work to get better, to improve. You can build an intensity to how you train and play, and then transfer that to the pitch."

Leeds have 15 games left in the Championship this season as they aim to move up from eleventh spot towards a playoff place.

It remains to be seen if Heckingbottom will introduce youngsters at such a vital stage of the campaign.