Why Leeds United have struck gold by offering fresh terms to Jordan Stevens
According to Leeds United’s official website, Championship high-flyers Leeds United have offered fresh terms to teenage midfielder Jordan Stevens. His new contract will keep him at Elland Road until the summer of 2022 and it will be interesting to see how he progresses in the near future.
The youngster has put in some fine displays for the club’s U23 side and his recent performance in the 2-0 win vs Barnsley was certainly promising, as he scored a wonder goal in the second half.
Having joined from Forest Green Rovers in 2018, the 19-year-old worked wonders in his first season, which resulted in his first-team debut against Stoke City earlier in January.
Things look quite bright for him this term as well since he has been a part of Leeds’ matchday squad on numerous occasions. A central midfielder by trade, Stevens can also play as a winger if required. The only stumbling block of his career thus far was the two-week suspension imposed on him by the FA for breaching betting rules (h/t FA official website).
However, after being out for that duration, Stevens was part of the Leeds matchday squad which decimated Middlesbrough 4-0 over the weekend. Considering his progress and skills, Leeds have certainly done the right thing by offering him a new contract.
With Marcelo Biela at the helm of affairs for the second season, the Whites are once again strong contenders for securing automatic promotion.
After falling agonizingly short last season, the club must avoid repeating their mistakes and continue in this rich vein of form till the end of the ongoing campaign. And to that, they might need to turn to younger stars like Stevens.
He made his first-team debut back in January, meaning it was during the second half of the previous term. And one may recall that Leeds were facing a shortage in squad depth around that time.
Bielsa has done many things differently this time around and things do look promising for the Yorkshire-based outfit. With a tough run of fixtures coming up, Leeds have done well by providing Stevens with fresh terms to boost his confidence.
