Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton not losing sight of next task in hand

Initially, the young midfielder was handed a top-flight debut to remember as a late substitute in United’s opening day 4-3 loss at champions Liverpool but thereafter four league games staying on the bench followed.

Six league games into the new campaign, a much more significant role presented itself in Friday night’s clash at an Aston Villa side sitting second in the table following four wins out of four.

With Kalvin Phillips out injured and his replacement Pascal Struijk already booked and walking a disciplinary tightrope, Shackleton was called for as a very early 21st-minute substitute.

Sixty-nine minutes of Premier League football followed with Shackleton and United excelling in a hugely impressive 3-0 victory that, at the time, sent Leeds third.

Yet Academy graduate Shackleton has become used to being patient and, similarly, the 21-year-old midfielder says big movers United will continue to tick off fixtures one game at a time.

Thanks in no small part to the efforts of Shackleton, Marcelo Bielsa’s newly-promoted Whites sit sixth ahead of the latest round of fixtures next weekend.

With Shackleton’s energy causing Villa all sorts of problems in midfield, United’s sixth fixture of the new Premier League season proved one to savour as a Patrick Bamford hat-trick temporarily sent United up to the dizzy heights of third.

Liverpool and next Monday’s visitors Leicester City then jumped above Leeds with their respective wins over Sheffield United and Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur also lined up for last night’s clash at Burnley knowing victory would send them one place above United into fifth and duly recorded a 1-0 victory but first impressions suggest Leeds might be capable of rather more than the initial aim of staying up in their first season back in the top tier.

But, rather befitting of his own approach, Shackleton says his side will still look no further than the next game - even when quizzed if the immediate target would be to secure the usually-required 40 points to stay in the division.