Leeds Under-23s coach Danny Schofield has insisted that the youngsters in his squad have learned a lot playing alongside senior players such as Izzy Brown this season.
Marcelo Bielsa has been strict about the fitness regimen of his players and has made a number of his first-team squad members play in regular Under-23 games to prove their match sharpness.
Brown has continued his comeback from a serious knee injury in the Under-23s group, clocking regular game time as he builds up his fitness.
Injuries to key players over the course of the season have meant that some of the senior squad members have also regularly featured for the reserves to build back up their fitness.
And Schofield admits that it has been a massive boost for the youngsters in his squad this season to play with the senior players at Under-23 level.
He insisted that the experience of playing with players such as Gaetano Berardi and Brown has helped the Under-23 players to understand the demands of playing in the first team.
Speaking about the Under-23s' season, the Leeds coach told LUTV: “It has been really positive.
“In the Under-23s this season, a lot of first-team players have been playing.
"Sometimes they do and sometimes it is the Under-23s group.
“But it has been fantastic.
“For these young players to play with these experienced players such as Berardi, Izzy Brown and Tyler Roberts, who have experienced a lot of first-team football, has been really positive for their progression.”
Leeds Under-23s beat Notts County 2-1 in a Premier League Cup clash on Friday night.
