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Noel Whelan reacts to Spurs loanee Jack Clarke’s Leeds cameo
Noel Whelan that Jack Clarke showed great maturity during his cameo in Leeds United’s win at Luton Town on Saturday.
Clarke made his first league appearance of the season at the weekend. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has found it difficult to force his way into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans and has not featured since Leeds’s Carabao Cup exit in August.
But he was given the chance to prove a point to the Whites boss at Kenilworth Road. He was thrown on with 19 minutes remaining as Leeds chased a winner against the Hatters.
Clarke was not directly involved with that winning goal that has taken Bielsa’s men up to second in the Championship. But Whelan felt that he saw some positive signs from the winger on what proved to be a difficult afternoon for the visitors.
“When he came on, you’re up against a wall of Luton players, players behind the ball. It’s difficult to try and get any kind of space to influence the game,” .
“But he showed a maturity, not giving the ball away, keeping the ball at the right times especially at the end when we’ve gone 2-1 up. He had an opportunity to drive down into the corner, which he did. He didn’t try to do anything fancy, played it back to his teammate. We then kept it for another four or five passes.
“That shows a player who realises it’s about the game management, not about doing something tricky and for yourself down that wing.”
It is certainly an encouraging sign for Leeds and Spurs that Clarke has received a chance. The Whites face eight games before the January transfer window opens, and Tottenham will surely be hoping that the teenager features in plenty of them.
If he returns to a peripheral role, then Spurs definitely need to consider bringing him back in January. But perhaps Saturday’s win could prove to be the catalyst that Clarke needs.
Having done little wrong after coming on, the 19-year-old certainly appears to have staked a claim for more opportunities.