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'Not a gift' - Leeds United cannot hold their latest wonderkid back any longer
Charlie Crew was drafted into Leeds United's senior squad for the first time over the Easter weekend and Daniel Farke has made it clear the teenager earned his inclusion with hard work on the training groundNecessity and choice drove Daniel Farke to promote Charlie Crew into Leeds United’s senior squad for the first time over the long weekend. It was not, however, a gift from the manager: the 17-year-old earned his seat on the team bus with excellent training displays at Thorp Arch.
Crew was a surprise arrival as the squad got off the bus at Vicarage Road on Good Friday, but his presence painted a clear picture of how bruising the international break had been for the Whites. With Wilfried Gnonto, Ilia Gruev and Connor Roberts all absent from the Easter fixtures, Crew proved to be the next cab off the rank in Farke’s eyes.
The German has not been afraid to name two goalkeepers on his bench in the past when he has felt no junior outfield players have warranted promotion. Crew has though seemingly made that leap in Farke’s eyes now, after an eye-catching 12 days at Thorp Arch with the first team during the international break.
Asked if necessity or choice had compelled Farke to draft Crew into the picture, he said: “Both. To be honest, we didn't have any other outfield players available, but it was also not a gift. If Charlie hadn't impressed me in the last days in training [he would not have been selected].
“He was one of the players we promoted during this period to help us a bit in terms of numbers in training, but he also showed some quality. If he hadn’t shown this, I would have taken a third goalkeeper just in case something happened.”
Crew follows the rare example of Archie Gray, who, at only a few months older, has not only broken into Farke’s plans, but become one of the most-used players this season. Once senior faces start to recover from injury, Crew is likely to return to the under-21s, but the experience, if not playing matches, will be invaluable to the youth.
“It was not a gift, but also a sign he has done really well in recent days,” said Farke. “Obviously, it's difficult for a guy who's just 17-years-old to come into such a crucial moment.
“He was also a bit nervous, but good experience for him. I wouldn't have been nervous if I would have had to play him. Obviously, it's not perfect if you have such a situation with many key players in red-hot form, like Willy Gnonto, like Connor Roberts, like Ilia Gruev, [missing].
“It was a horrible outcome of the international break, but, overall, Charlie has done well in training and for that he deserves to be in the squad.”
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/not-gift-leeds-united-cannot-28934378
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