Leeds United youngster Jamie Shackleton has admitted that he favours operating as a box-to-box midfielder, with an eye on how Mateusz Klich does the role.
Shackleton progressed through the youth ranks at Leeds and has found favour with head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
The Leeds boss has deployed Shackleton as a midfielder and in a full-back role, with the Whites star clocking a total of 19 appearances for the club this season.
Shackleton admits that if given the choice he prefers to play in midfield, operating in a box-to-box role.
“My favourite position to play is like number eight in midfield so box to box", Shackleton told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“The way our team plays, I can go anywhere on the pitch and just plenty of legs.
“I do enjoy playing full back, though, bombing on from there because that’s similar but fairly more straight lines for that part of the pitch.
"I also enjoy that but my favourite position to play would be eight."
Shackleton feels that team-mate Klich is the very example of a number 8.
“Mateusz is exactly that.
"He’s box to box, he does his bit in defence, he wins the ball back, gets forward and contributes going forward as well and that’s key in this team for a number eight to do and he does that really well."
The 20-year-old insists that there is a lot to be learned from Klich, with his best asset being the way he moves on the ball and can create space to receive it.
"There’s a lot to be learned off him, the way he moves on the ball, I think that’s one of his best assets, how he creates space when there isn’t space to come in to there to get on the ball.
"He manages to create it and I think that’s one of his best skills.”
Shackleton will be hoping for an opportunity to play in midfield in the Premier League with Leeds next season.
