'Both' - Ex-Leeds United man urges Whites to start pair with two suggested solutions in 'battle'

Luke Ayling has long been United’s first choice right back but Leeds have now added fierce competition for the position in recruiting England under-21s international defender and former Nottingham Forest loanee promotion winner Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan.

Ayling was still given the nod to start last weekend’s Championship hosting of Sheffield Wednesday in which Spence immediately dazzled upon finally being brought on from the bench with nine minutes left. Prutton, though, feels there is a case to be made for starting both players, either by fielding Spence as a winger or moving one of the pair over to a left back role.

"Djed Spence is a good player and he has operated at this level,” Prutton told the YEP. "He probably feels like he needs to make up for a bit of lost ground and wants to be back in prime site of people that enjoy watching football at this level and enjoy being able to compete, which is absolutely what he did do for Forest. He was wonderful and got a massive move to Tottenham.

"He's not necessarily lost his way since but he has been in positions where he maybe didn't feel as wanted as you should do as a footballer. Hopefully he finds a home at Leeds and the way that Leeds play gets the best out of him."

Pressed on whether Spence simply had to start – and where that left Ayling if so – Prutton reasoned: “It would be a strange one to think that they get Djed in and they keep him on the bench.

"If there's a way of getting them both in then great. I think Djed's qualities getting forward means that he wouldn't be a fish out of water if he was playing further up the pitch if you had Luke behind him.

"That's what he did so well at Forest with one bombing forward and one tucking in and filling in for each other. And from a full back's point of view, the fundamentals of playing on the left hand side instead of the right are not a million miles away.

"I'm not saying it's straightforward by any stretch of the imagination but maybe it's a different outlet if you get someone going down the left hand side who is then cutting in to the right. It gives it a different angle. I think given the qualities of the player and the abilities of the player, specifically at this level, then they are going to have to try to find a way to get Djed in, both in.

"The thing with Luke is that he brings a lot not just in a playing sense but in a personality sense. He is one of the old steady dependables and I mean that with the greatest respect with Luke. He has had a fantastic career, been fantastic for Leeds and players such as him are very, very important as cornerstones for the club."