Ross McCormack has lauded Jamie Shackleton and suggested that the Leeds United full-back was fantastic in their win over Watford on Saturday.
McCormack was speaking on BBC Radio Leeds after Daniel Farke’s side blew their opponents away to win 3-0 and move into the play-off places in the Championship.
Jamie Shackleton kept his place in the side for the clash with Hornets, moving across to right-back as Sam Byram came in for Luke Ayling.
Ultimately, Leeds played some stunning football at times. And they were able to put the game to bed after the break, scoring three times.
McCormack lauds Shackleton after Leeds win
There were brilliant performances all over the pitch, with Shackleton one of those who is proving to be a revelation under Farke.
The 23-year-old had probably been somewhat written off by many after being loaned out last season. And it is probably fair to say that he did not manage to make the largest impact at Millwall.
But Shackleton is now proving to be a key player under the new Leeds boss. And Ross McCormack was full of praise for the youngster’s performance in the 3-0 victory over the Hornets.
“Yeah, you see it with a lot of teams nowadays, it’s a big part of how teams want to play, is how they use their full-backs. And I thought him and Byram today were fantastic,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.
“Up against the players every time they had it, they couldn’t get turned. And then the way they used the ball and their energy going forward gave us another dimension.”
Leeds had been fortunate that they had a few options for the full-back roles. Unfortunately, Djed Spence is now dealing with a serious injury. And Cody Drameh has since left the club.
But Shackleton and Byram were superb against Watford. And Luke Ayling remains a reliable performer.
Of course, there are going to be bumps in the road. But it is a huge boost that Leeds have now kept four clean sheets in a row and are moving up the table.
They are playing some of the best football in the league right now. And we are still only in the early stages of Farke’s tenure.
Shackleton is one of the players who is proving many of us wrong, along with Georginio Rutter, Byram and, to a lesser extent, Illan Meslier.
And it is difficult to not get a little excited about what Leeds may now achieve this season.