Former Leeds United star Tony Dorigo believes Marcelo Bielsa must include Jamie Shackleton in the starting line-up against Derby County tonight.
A product of the Leeds academy, the 19-year-old has broken into the first team squad this season and has been part of Bielsa’s plans throughout the campaign.
After not featuring in a league game since March, he was thrown into the cauldron of a Championship playoff semi-final at Pride Park on Saturday, when he replaced an injured Adam Forshaw in the first half.
The youngster produced a sparkling midfield performance as Leeds beat Derby 1-0 and managed to carry an advantage back to Elland Road ahead of the second leg tonight.
Dorigo is a big fan of what Shackleton and what he brings to the Leeds line-up, and believes he should be part of the starting eleven tonight regardless of the state of Forshaw’s injury.
He feels the young midfielder’s ability to bomb forward will be a huge asset for Leeds in a pressure game.
Dorigo said on LUTV's preview show: “Shackleton, what a player!
“He is a young player and we know that. When he has come in he has always shown his ability and what he has done when out on the pitch has just been tremendous.
“For me, it is not a question of when or if Shackleton is going to play, it is where, because he is that good and should be in there.
"His ability to get up and down the pitch is vital to how we play.
“Defensively he is going to work hard but then he can bomb forward and vacate those areas in order to support the strikers, which he did all game long.
“And he was tremendous.”
Forshaw is tipped to miss out this evening due to injury.
