Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa benefiting from academy's strength in depth

At Aston Villa on Sunday, where Leeds produced a monumental comeback from 2-0 down, Bielsa was stretched to the extent that single members of Villa’s line-up were earning more a week than his entire bench combined.

Six of United’s substitutes at Villa Park were Under-23s, giving the bench an average age of less than 20, and one of those – 18-year-old defender Leif Davis – was bounced into an unplanned debut after left-back Barry Douglas succumbed to illness during the warm-up.

Bielsa’s original plan this season was to run a small squad and supplement it with players from Leeds’ academy but the reliance on the club’s development squad has been heavier than he expected.

Davis is the fifth Under-23 to make a first senior appearance under Bielsa, following Jamie Shackleton, Jack Clarke, Will Huffer and Aapo Halme.

Robbie Gotts, who made the bench at Villa, will not be far behind.

Clarke turned Sunday’s match in Birmingham, shining in front of a crowd of more than 41,000. Davis grew into the game and Shackleton replaced him in the second half, helping Leeds to force a 3-2 win in the fifth minute of injury-time.

“We’ve received a lot of support from the academy,” Bielsa said.

“Clarke, Davis and Shackleton played with a level that is not common for young players.

“I didn’t know this stadium here (Villa Park) but you feel who is playing a home game and who is playing an away game. These three players coped naturally with the atmosphere.

“Sometimes we think that the 18 most experienced players are going to play more but unexpected things gave a chance to these young players, who’ve been involved in the first team for many months.

“The experienced players accepted the young players and integrate them.

“This helps the young players.”