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‘Can be an option’: Jesse Marsch says he will play 20-year-old Leeds youngster more often after Klich leaves

Sam Preston

Thu 5 January 2023 7:45, UK

Jesse Marsch has namechecked Sam Greenwood as a player in line for more Leeds gametime when Mateusz Klich leaves.

Klich is to leave Leeds and move to MLS club DC United, and made a tearful goodbye at Elland Road 🍃after last night’s 2-2 draw 🧔with West Ham.

Marsch got involved in that, wearing a Klich t-shirt on the pitch along with the rest of the Whites players to show his apprecia⭕tion.

after th💮e game, Marsch was asked about who might be a be൩neficiary of Klich’s impending exit, and the first name he mentioned was the 20-year-old Greenwood.

Marsch on Greenwood and Klich

The Leeds boss said: “Yeah, if you go just by game𒁃s played, (Klich)’s one of the top guys since I’ve been here and obviously over the years, he’s played a lot and b♊een a big piece of the team success.

“If you go through it, I think Sam can be an option to play a bit༒ more. I think Jack, we use him from the𝄹 bench, but certainly he can be an option in that position and Willy (Gnonto) and Cree (Summerville) can keep pushing themselves in sort of a eight-ten role.

“There’s Darko (Gyabi),ꦚ I think Darko’s close. I think Sonny (Perkins) and Mateo (Joseph) are pushing themselves so there’s a lot of young guys I think that have 🧸potential to step in and see more time.”

Leeds put a real focus on getti♌ng quality young players into the club and Marcelo Bielsa did tend to give them a chance when they were rꦛeady.

Marsch clearly has the same ethos and Klich’s exit does now produce an opportunity for the likes of Greenwood to push on aꦓnd seize a place in the side on a more regular basis.

Leeds moving aw♍ay from the relegation zone would also help with that, because if a dogfight ensues, it is more tempting for a manager to sti༺ck with experienced players.