Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa has hailed Whites talent Jamie Shackleton, saying that the youngster is putting in performances beyond his years for the first team.
Shackleton, who was promoted to the first team in the summer, clocked the full 90 minutes for the second game in a row on Saturday as Leeds registered a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers.
The Whites had to battle hard at the University of Bolton Stadium owing to extreme weather conditions and managed to secure maximum points as they climbed to the top of the table courtesy of a second-half strike from Patrick Bamford.
Despite the encounter working out to be a dull affair marred by incessant rain, the visitors managed to cling on to their slender lead with Shackleton deployed in an unnatural right-back position due to injury problems.
The 19-year-old midfielder has stepped up and performed as an able deputy to Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas, who are both out due to injury, in an unnatural full-back role with the first team so far.
Bielsa, who has been forced to make the bold decision to play Shackleton in the backline due to injuries, admitted that the youngster is putting in performances that are beyond his age at the moment.
“Jamie has a maturity that does not correspond to his age.
"He plays like a veteran, but he’s only 19”, Bielsa told reporters in a press conference after the win over Bolton.
“And he can attack by surprise, he defends well.
"When he moves he has explosive movements.
“With these kind of movements he can surprise his opponent, he takes his space at the right time and is covering for Ayling and Dallas very well.”
Leeds will next face Aston Villa away from home on Sunday in the Championship.
