Flying Kiwis – March 3
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 2)
Ben Old is a left-back now, he’s even admitting it himself. Not a winger playing out of position but a genuine converted option having played nothing but fullback for the past two months. Successive St-Etienne coaches have not only picked him there but raved about his potential in the position. Oldy has embraced the opportunity, picking up the tricks of the trade remarkably quickly and turning himself into a first eleven player after beginning the season mostly stuck on the bench. And since he was on pre-game press conference duty this week, we’ve got quotes galore about how it’s all going.
“Yeah it’s obviously different, I’ve never really played a fully defensive role before. So when I moved into that position it was obviously a lot different but I think my qualities and my game really come out in this position and I think I've been able to adapt and learn the defensive side very quickly. So I’ve been very happy with my past three performances and I hope I can keep improving and helping the team.”
Asked about whether he sees himself as an attacker or a defender these days, he answered “both”, saying that his attacking instincts are part of why he’s been able to perform well as a left-back, being able to support the frontline. He also said that it didn’t take much convincing to get him to play there.
“No, it kind of happened quite naturally. Obviously, I came in because of an injury and played about 60 minutes off the bench and after that match they were thought this was a possibility for me. So I spoke to the coaches, the owners, because they wanted to make sure that if I play in this position, I committed to it because I have to learn a lot of things defensively. I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying playing a lot after not playing for a long time and I honestly think this is a position that I can bring a lot of quality in and help the team out in a different way.”
If you’re wondering about how the positional swap might affect his All Whites standing, he said he spoke to Darren Bazeley as well and Baze told him that the most important thing was to be getting minutes. He also told him that learning different positions is always beneficial, unlocking new attributes and all that, but that he’s still going to be seen as a left winger first and foremost for the national team. There was a bit of chat in there about how ASSE are playing more compact and more cohesively under the new coach Philippe Montanier. There was also a reference to how Montanier had compared Old’s attacker to left-back swap to a French legend who did something similar...
PM: “Ben Old? I am very satisfied! It reminds me of [Bixente] Lizarazu! Liza was initially a number ten while he was in the youth grades. I think that if he had remained there he would have had a good career but not as extraordinary as the one he had with the French team and Bayern Munich in particular. It's a good conversion for Ben Old. He's very aggressive, he's very intelligent. He's also discovering the position but is very complete. I find that defensively he now has the right reflexes. For me, this is good confirmation.”
BO: “Yeah, I obviously heard that he spoke about [the Lizarazu comparison] on the press conference, but he also mentioned it to me very early on. It's obviously amazing for him to... I wouldn't necessarily say compare me to him, but to be able to see someone at such a high level be able to do a similar change to me. He explained that it just made his level and his career so much better. So we've talked a lot about it because I think what they're worried about is that going from a left wing to a left back might seem like a bit of a reduction. But for me, and speaking to the coach and the staff and the players, we think that it's just going to be able to elevate me more and take me to heights, which maybe wasn't possible for a winger. So I'm very excited to be able to continue and improve in this position.”
Those new heights continued into a 3-0 win away against Pau FC. Fourth win in a row under Montanier’s leadership. Lucas Stassin scored twice (3’, 64’) to snap a long goal-drought before Joshua Duffus added another at the end (90+4’). Stassin hadn’t scored since September so his brace was very overdue (he also got assists in each of the previous two wins – one of many players thriving since the manager chance) and it’s also funky because he’s a Belgian international hoping to make their World Cup squad where he could come up against... his club teammate Ben Old playing for New Zealand.
We haven’t seen any goals or assists from Old since he switched to defence but he did have a big role in the second goal here. Really beautifully worked goal that included Old on the overlap out wide, whipping in a low cross for a lay-off for a slip pass for a square ball for a tap-in. Absolutely mint. That fourth win in a row sent ASSE top for a couple of days until Troyes won 2-0 away to Amiens to jump back ahead. But only by two points and Troyes have slipped up a few times lately. When Philippe Montanier took over, ASSE were fourth. Now they’re back in the title race.
Up Next: ASSE vs Red Star at 8am on Sunday (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
Home opener in Minnesota in February... it was never going to be very comfortable but this was ridiculous. Temperature at kickoff was -6 degrees Celsius (20 °F) with wind chill making it feel even colder. Opponents Cincinnati reckon it was the coldest game they’ve ever been involved in. Minnesota United have probably dealt with worse being where they are but that didn’t stop every single player across both teams from walking out with either a long-sleeved jersey or long-sleeved undershirt... except for one: Michael Boxall. Toughing it out in the cold. Shout out to FCC midfielder Pavel Bucha, a Czechia native, because he at least joined Boxy in going gloveless. They were the only two.
There was plenty going on here. James Rodriguez was included on the bench for the Loons, though he didn’t make a debut with the conditions and the match situation not really lending itself to that substitution. Kiwi U20s rep Troy Putt debuted last week and was given another short term contract to keep him on the bench for game two after coach Cam Knowles praised his workrate and effort (both in his MLS cameo last week but especially also throughout preseason, the reserve team player having topped the team’s Beep Test among everything else). He also didn’t get off the bench but at least he was keeping good company alongside the Colombian legend. That means that the Loons have already cashed two of the four available Short-Term Agreements for Troy Putt this season. You’re actually only allowed to play in two of those four games for some reason, though it wouldn’t matter if they sign him to a proper contract – which they’re able to do, seeing as loan-outs have cleared room in their international slots. It’s something to track because it’s clear that Knowlesy rates him.
Michael Boxall ended that game on the bench too. Don’t often see him get substituted – it never happened at all last season (although he did play off the bench a couple times when the squad was rotated), in fact this was only the sixth time in more than 250 MLS starts that he’s not finished the game. The reason was because he got shoved in the face by a bloke considerably shorter than him whose hands had no reason to be raised that high and yet there was no card given. Ref deemed it to “incidental contact”... and to be fair that’s true in as much as there was an incident involving contact. Caused enough contact that Boxy needed some extended treatment before they decided to sub him off. Might have been a poke in the eye rather than a head knock, hard to say, but he didn’t look well. Fortunately, he was out there to thank the fans after the match and did some post-game media so it seems like he recovered just fine.
Prior to that, Boxy played a big role in what proved to be the winning goal. He was standing in front of the wall for a free kick millimetres outside the penalty area and was struck by the ball as Tomás Chancalay lined up his shot. Would have hit the wall if it hadn’t hit Boxy... but it’s a good thing he was there because the deflection bounced off the post and allowed Kelvin Yeboah (who’d scored the late equaliser last week) to head it home for 1-0. Questions over whether he was offside but oh well. Minnesota United came through with the clean sheet win and Cam Knowles remains undefeated as a head coach: 3 wins, 2 draws, 0 defeats.
Finn Surman had another decent game for Portland Timbers, once again paired with his new Aussie teammate Alex Bonetig (making Surman, a year and a half into his MLS career and at age 22, the senior partner in his centre-back combo). Surman played well but the team on the whole was a bit sketchy, losing 2-0 away to Colorado Rapids with a different A-League export taking the headlines: 18yo Australian prospect Lucas Herrington who scored the second goal for Rapids. He’s currently starting games ahead of former Arsenal defender Rob Holding. Seems like Surman might have some Australasian Phenom company over Stateside.
And Tyler Boyd got a start in the Champions Cup at home against Real España (Honduras). They’d won 6-1 in the first leg so this was prime time for some rotation and Boyd got the benefit of that. But he didn’t make the most of it, missing an open goal in the second half. They did score from a scramble after his sweet free kick delivery though – LAFC winning 1-0 for the comfortable progression. They then won 2-0 away against 10-man Houston Dynamo in MLS, however Boyd was only utilised for the last minute plus stoppages. Two wins from two domestically and into the second round of the continental stuff. Looks like LAFC are poised for a big year.
Up Next: Nashville vs Minnesota at 2.30pm on Sunday (NZT)
Tyler Bindon - Sheffield United (English Championship)
It was Bindon Time again as Sheffield United won 2-0 away against Queen’s Park Rangers. Tyler Bindon and Japhet Tanganga helped the Blades towards another clean sheet with Bindon putting in some excellent work in there. Two tackles, one interception, 12 defensive clearances, three blocked shots, four defensive recoveries, and 7/10 aerial duels won. Completed 64/74 passes. Sheffield United had blown a lead to lose 2-1 to table-topping Coventry midweek so they needed to bounce back and they did so with ease. Nine points off the top six with 11 matches to go... it’s not out of the question they could still make a playoff run. At the very least, they’ve completely shattered any thoughts of relegation after those initial struggles.
By the way, manager Ruben Selles just got sacked by Real Zaragoza... his third sacking in ten months (Hull City, Sheffield United, Real Zaragoza). That’s rough but he did get Tyler Bindon to the Championship so respect to the man for that.
Things aren’t so chirpy for Max Crocombe. He was playing brilliant footy, helping lead the Lions up into the playoff mix, then they signed one of the coach’s old keepers on loan from a Premier League club. At first Crocombe held onto his spot as they eased Anthony Patterson in... then Crocs made one mistake in a 2-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday and he promptly dropped to the bench. Patterson made the same mistake, parrying a save out in front of him for a rebound goal, in a loss to Portsmouth on debut but he retained his spot for the next two matches and both were comfortable clean sheets wins: 3-0 vs Birmingham, 2-0 vs Preston. Here’s what the gaffer said after the Portsmouth game...
Alex Neil, Millwall coach: “Not really. We had the last game against Sheffield Wednesday. I could easily sort of flipped it then. Obviously, Max made a bit of an error in the last game. But what I do think is we’ve got thirteen games left, and if something had happened to Max, whether it be today, the next game, whatever, we’re putting whoever in the goal a little bit cold at that point. We’ve still got another thirteen games to go. I know right now, every single moment feels like a cup final. We’ve got loads of the season still to go.”
That would seem to imply that Crocombe was still the number one and they were just trying to get Patterson some reps so that he’d be ready if called upon again. Except now Patterson has started three in a row and since his rusty debut has looked pretty comfortable. Credit where it’s due. Patterson helped Sunderland get promoted through the playoffs last season and had played 138 Championship games prior to this season compared to Crocombe’s zero. Working his way up from the lower divisions, Crocombe has constantly had to overcome stigmas about his resume and the same remains true in the Championship.
At least it seems that playing Patterson was the plan all along so it’s less that Crocs was dropped for one mistake against Sheff Weds and more that it was the trigger for what was inevitable all along. Crocombe is only on a one-year contract and he now has a bank of proof that he can hold his own in the Champo. Not to mention a World Cup to (potentially) put him in the spotlight before next season. His chance might come around again before this season is done but even if it doesn’t he’s going to land on his feet somewhere.
Around the other grounds, Wrexham won 1-0 against Charlton to keep up their push for the playoffs... but Libby Cacace remains injured. Phil Parkinson has said it’s been “slower progress than we had initially anticipated” recovering from his latest muscle issue (hamstring this time) so probably gonna be another couple of weeks there. Certainly don’t expect him in the All Whites squad for later this month. Marko Stamenic returned from suspension for a full game in the Swansea City midfield only for his team to concede in the third minute and trail the entire rest of the way in a 3-0 loss to Ipswich Town.
And there’s another one here because in among West Bromwich Albion sacking coach Eric Ramsay after nine winless games in charge, they’ve also suffered an injury to backup goalkeeper Joshua Griffiths. He was subbed off at half-time of an FA Cup defeat to Norwich a few weeks ago and was seen leaving the ground in a protective boot, though Ramsay did later say the foot injury was not as bad as first feared. Griffiths was the number one for much of the season until losing his spot to Max O’Leary recently. With him out of the picture for the last three games, that’s meant NZ U20s rep Joe Wallis has been the goalkeeping reserve on the bench. He’d made it into a couple other matchday squads before but only ever alongside another keeper, never ahead/instead of either. This was different – this was Wallis as the next man up, one injury away from a Championship debut. Proof, if you still needed it, that he’s poised as WBA’s number three keeper.
Up Next: Sheffield United vs West Brom at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Ben Waine - Port Vale (English League One)
Ben Waine might not have started against Luton Town had it not been that Ethon Archer, as a Luton Town loanee, was ineligible. Archer had started all seven games since he joined the Valiants in January, often on the left wing, sometimes through the middle. Waine’s been one in, one out during that time so he’s started alongside Archer a fair few times. Might have made the cut regardless. But without Archer it was a necessity and he showed exactly why when he dashed in behind to score the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Luton Town.
Typical Waine-o stuff with the run and the finish and the celebration. Happy days. This was his third goal of the League One season and his sixth across all competitions for PVFC. Six goals in 24 matches... that averages out to a goal every 230-ish minutes, which itself shrinks to a goal every 164 minutes since the start of December (when he got back into the team after a period of isolation and got his tally started). He’s been able to sustain that for three months making this his most effective spell in English football. All aboard!
Port Vale are going to need some more of it. They were good value for the draw, their third game undefeated on the trot, and are starting to find some consistency finally... yet remain seven points adrift in last place. This is a nice bit of form they’ve found but if they want to avoid the drop it’d better only be the beginning. They do have games in hand though, that’s what happens when you have multiple postponements due to a “waterlogged pitch”. You can see the outcome of all that waterlogging by the state of Vale Park in that goal clip. She was a mess but they got through it. Also, Ben Waine played ninety minute in this match for just the second time in a league game this season. Picked up a yellow card near the end.
Port Vale face Peterborough on the weekend however it sounds like Matt Garbett won’t quite be ready for that one, more likely the week after. Posh won their first two games without him (including a 6-1 win against Wigan) but have only taken two points from the last four matches and could really use him again. They were pushing up towards the playoffs but have now ducked back to 11th. Huddersfield are the team on the brink there in sixth, six points ahead of Peterborough, though Nik Tzanev has only been in one matchday squad since he joined them and that was in an EFL Trophy quarter-final defeat.
Up Next: FA Cup fourth round rescheduled game against Bristol City at 8.45am Weds (NZT)
Henry Gray - Harrogate Town (English League Two)
A 1-1 draw against Cheltenham means that Harrogate Town are now five games undefeated. Only goal difference is keeping them down in the bottom two. No particular highlights from Henry Gray in this one but there’s no denying that the team has improved since he rocked up. The match result stats are a bit wonky because there was a game in which he went off injured and another in which he was subbed on so let’s just go by the minutes that the three Harrogate keepers have been on the pitch...
Henry Gray – 825 mins | 1.09 GA/90 | 78.9 save% | 2 cleans sheets in 9 starts
James Belshaw – 1980 mins | 1.58 GA/90 | 69.0 save% | 4 clean sheets in 22 starts
Mark Oxley – 345 mins | 1.83 GA/90 | 61.1 save% | 0 clean sheets in 4 starts
Simon Weaver, HTFC coach speaking last week after a 0-0 draw vs first-placed Bromley: “On Saturday, Henry carried on his performance level from the previous game. He’s been outstanding for a 20-year-old goalkeeper. His distribution is outstanding, he is calm, right on it and very business-like. And that gives the team confidence.”
Keep in mind that there are only two goalkeepers younger than Henry Gray to have started games in League Two this season: Matt Young at Salford and Elyh Harrison at Shrewsbury Town. Both of them are on loan from Premier League clubs (Young from Sunderland, Harrison from Manchester United). That does hint at something that Max Crocombe spoke about on Ben Foster’s podcast about how loanees from big clubs get opportunities that others aren’t graced with – and Gray has some of that shine as a loanee from Championship side Ipswich Town. But Gray’s got better stats than either of them (in terms of goals against per ninety and save percentages)... despite joining a team in the relegation zone.
Up Next: MK Dons vs Harrogate at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Elijah Just – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
Say what do ya know, Motherwell won with another clean sheet, beating Jesse Randall’s future club Dundee United 2-0 thanks to a brace from Tawanda Maswanhise. The Zimbabwean’s big day meant that Elijah Just was overshadowed, a rare day in which he went without a goal contribution, but he still had a bunch of glorious touches along the way and was linking up sweetly within another fine victory that further enhances this magnificent season for Motherwell. Hearts won 1-0 against Aberdeen to keep it steady up the top... but Rangers and Celtic drew 2-2, meaning that the Steelmen have gained more ground on the top three. Only two points behind Celtic. Only four behind Rangers with a game in hand. Dammit, they’re only 10 behind Hearts with a game in hand... even the title isn’t entirely out of reach for Motherwell who are the form team in the country right now.
Motherwell’s manager Jens Berthel Askou was in the crowd to watch that Old Firm derby, sitting alongside his agent. He’s being heavily linked with the Celtic job next season and his appointment would make a lot of sense. And from JBA’s perspective, the additional money and resources (not to mention the career prestige) would make it tough to turn down. He might decline it to keep going with this thrilling Motherwell project, especially if he can get them into Champions League. He might not get offered it. But if he does end up there then it bears repeating that JBA coached Elijah Just at AC Horsens, tried to sign him at IFK Göteborg in Sweden, signed him against at Motherwell... and if he moves to Celtic then you’ve gotta think that EJ would be on his wishlist again.
Up Next: Dundee vs Motherwell at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Alex Paulsen - Lechia Gdansk (Polish Ekstraklasa)
He’s already had a few ‘Welcome To Polish Football’ moments but Alex Paulsen got another one on the weekend playing away against Arka Gdynia in the Tricity Derby. The reason he’s clouded in smoke there, and also the reason why there was ten minutes of injury time in the first half, was because the respective ultras decided to have a fireworks battle mid-game. Pretty normal behaviour for this derby where pyrotechnics seem to occur every time they meet. You could hear them popping on the broadcast and soon enough the game had to be postponed after smoke drifted down to the pitch and made it impossible for the players. They left the field while it cleared, then they returned and the fireworks started up again and they had to leave the field for a second time. Thankfully that was the end of it.
To the game itself, Lechia went a goal down after five minutes when Alex Paulsen conceded an utter banger from twenty metres out, flying in off the underside of the crossbar beyond his diving reaches. Pinpoint top corner, nothing could be done about it. They should have drawn level on several occasions during the first half but didn’t (offsides not helping matters) and then instead fell 2-0 down 34 seconds into the second half. Again it was a shot from the edge of the area which was struck through traffic (it went between the legs of a defender) and was swerving away from AP as he dove. He had more of a chance with that shot than he did with the first but still a very well-taken strike.
Gotta admit though, it’s goals like that which are keeping Paulsen’s stats in an unflattering territory where he’s exceeding his Expected Goals Against (24 goals vs 19.57 xGOT), only has a 61% save percentage, and has kept just one clean sheet from 14 matches. He’s playing fine... but he isn’t making as many crazy stops as we’re used to seeing from him in the A-League and there are a couple that’ve gotten past him which you’d have expected him to get hands upon. Nothing drastic, he’s acclimatising to a pretty high level and living in a foreign country, but it shows we’re in good not great territory at the moment.
Luckily his team did have a comeback in them, scoring a couple quick ones to walk away with a 2-2 draw and add something to their points tally. Gotta keep those coming because that points deduction means they’re only three points above the drop zone despite their turnaround in fortunes. They’d have dropped below Arka Gydia if they’d lost.
Up Next: Lechia vs Jagiellonia at 8.30am on Saturday (NZT)
Callum McCowatt - Silkeborg IF (Danish Superliga)
Silkeborg were defiant in January about not selling their two best goal-threats: Callum McCowatt and Tonni Adamsen. That mission was accomplished as both of them stuck around to help out the embattled club over the second half of the season... and in the four matches since they’ve lost 1-0 to Viborg, lost 2-1 to Sønderjyske, lost 4-0 to Midtjylland, and lost 2-1 to Fredericia. Four defeats from four. The initial phase of the Superliga is now over and the league splits into championship and relegation rounds with Silkeborg currently as low as they’ve been while McCowatt’s been at the club.
The one relief of missing the top six is that at least the fixtures should be easier from here (except against FC Copenhagen who somehow slipped to seventh... then again, McCowatt scored a hatty against them a few months ago so they’re a favoured opponent for him). But they’re second-to-last, on a five-game losing streak, and are now five points behind the team above them (Fredericia). The vibes are not good. Unlike over at Sønderjyske who are third at the split and pushing for European qualification... although Dalton Wilkins promptly got injured after his penalty-winning heroics in the win over Silkeborg so he’s been missing these past two matches. Unfortunately, that happens a lot with him.
Up Next: TBD for the next phase of fixtures
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
After skipping last week’s game in order to rest up a niggling injury (that he’d played through with painkillers in the couple matches prior), Ryan Thomas returned for the calendar-circled match against Ajax... where he pulled up sore and was subbed after 56 minutes. Didn’t look too bad, more like a precautionary thing. He signalled to the bench as his team won an attacking corner then hit the deck to make sure of it after the ball was cleared. He didn’t wait for the physio, getting back up and leaving the pitch under his own power once the game got stopped, handing the captain’s armband along on his way... he actually jogged off so that’s a good sign. Maybe should have sat out another week but the lure of Ajax was a bit much.
He’d been really good up until then too, offering his usual classy midfield work and even hitting the crossbar shortly before he got injured. Admittedly it was from a cross that he sliced... but still. That burst up the right wing might have even been what tweaked his hamstring, come to think of it (it was his hammy that he seemed to be motioning about although it wasn’t entirely clear). Also got a yellow card midway through the first half. Zwolle played some really nice stuff in those initial 56 minutes and they didn’t lose their edge without their captain... although they never did find a goal. Nevertheless, a 0-0 draw against Ajax is always a good point. Keeps them six points clear of any relegation worries with nine matches remaining in the season.
Up Next: Sparta Rotterdam vs PEC Zwolle at 12.15am on Monday (NZT)
Codey Phoenix - Tacoma Defiance (American MLS Next Pro)
On after an hour for his professional debut with his team trailing by a goal, soon to be trailing by two goals, then set up the equaliser with five minutes left in a comeback 2-2 draw. Not bad, not bad. Codey Phoenix captained the Auckland FC Reserves last year and made it onto the bench on one occasion for the A-League side. Might have been there again in place of Matt D’Hotman-de Villiers these past two games had he not left to try his hand at MLS Next Pro. And it’s so far so good with an assist on debut.
Tacoma went on to lose the penalty shootout for a bonus point with Phoenix not among the takers. Maybe next time, seeing as three of the four all missed. Tacoma is the feeder team for Seattle Sounders. We’ve got two other NZers involved in Next Pro this year: one of them is Troy Putt who was too busy with the MLS team to be available for Minnesota United 2’s opening game; the other is Thomas Raimbault with Carolina Core whose game got postponed.
Up Next: Houston Dynamo 2 vs Tacoma Defiance at midday on Monday (NZT)
Tommy Smith & Matt Dibley-Dias – Braintree Town (English National League)
Hold on, what’s this...
Yeah sure, why not. Matt Dibley-Dias was supposed to be making a name for himself on loan at Chesterfield in League Two but (much like his loan at Northampton Town last season) that was spoiled by injury with Dibs only appearing four times until a knee issue that kept him sideline for several months and led to Fulham recalling him in January. Now they’ve sent him back out again, this time to Braintree Town in the fifth tier. The division is lower... that’s because his injuries don’t make him a particularly enthralling prospect for clubs higher up but also because the transfer window is closed so no EFL club could register him now anyway. This is the highest division he can go for senior football right now.
And there’s a link because this is where Tommy Smith plays. MDD did join one All Whites squad a couple years ago (he got injured in training so didn’t debut) so he’s met Smithy before. That was in October 2023 when Dibs was bossing things for the Fulham U21s. That tour was also Tyler Bindon’s first international call-up for NZ – and while Bindon’s career has moved forward at rapid pace ever since, Dibs has stalled due to all the fitness problems. Hence a run of games for Braintree Town, trying to keep them from getting relegated, sounds like a pretty good idea.
Dibs was on the bench as Braintree won 3-2 away against Truro City this week but wasn’t called upon for a club debut just yet. They were 1-0 up until conceding on the brink of half-time. They were 2-1 down before equalising in the 80th minute and then winning it on 90+5’. And although we didn’t see Dibley-Dias... we did see Tommy Smith. He was subbed on immediately after Braintree scored a hilarious own goal, giving them twenty minutes (during which they went from 2-1 down to 3-2 up) in his first appearance since early November. After starting the eight league matches in a row to begin the season, he’s been restricted to just 3/27 appearances since due to multiple injuries. He and Matt Dibley-Dias have that in common at the moment. Hopefully they can pool their physio resources and flip it around.
Up Next: Gateshead vs Braintree at 8.45am on Thursday (NZT)
Marley Leuluai - Burnley (English Premier League)
Quick note here at the end to say that Marley Leuluai has been playing a lot of football for the Burnley U21s lately. Between the Premier League 2, Premier League Cup, and National League Cup, he’s appeared in 21 of their 27 matches this season. Not a lot of starts, except in the cup games, but he’s in the squad pretty much every week having only turned 19yo in November. They’ve got him playing a mixture of centre-back and centre-midfield. Don’t forget he sat on the bench for the senior side in an EFL Cup game a few months ago too.
Leuluai is the third year of a three-year deal with the club (after previously coming up in the Manchester City academy – as well as a short trial stint with Stoke City in between). First year he was predominantly in the U18s and managed to sneak onto the U21s bench a couple of times. Second year he had a lot of injuries though was still able to step it up with four U21s appearances including his first start at that level. Now he’s aged out of the U18s but has proved himself worthy of permanent status in the U21s squad. So if you’ve been wondering what he’s been up to, it’s been steady progress behind the scenes.
Up Next: Stockport U21s vs Burnley U21s on Thursday at 8am in the PL Cup (NZT)
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