Former Benfica youngster reflects on short-lived Leeds United career and Marcelo Bielsa regret

Sarkic initially joined the Whites on loan from Benfica in the summer of 2017 before putting pen to paper on a permanent two-and-a-half year deal in January 2018 with United having the option to extend by a further year.

The former Montenegro youth international had been a regular in Carlos Corberan’s under-23s Whites side since joining but the forward was then loaned to Spanish Segunda Division B side Barakaldo CF in September 2018 on a season-long deal.

Upon the end of his loan spell, Sarkic had offers to join other clubs abroad but instead signed for League One side Burton Albion on a contract until the end of the season last August after impressing during a trial game against Chesterfield for the Brewers.

Sarkic had joined Leeds under then head coach Thomas Christiansen who was replaced by Paul Heckingbottom whose sacking paved the way for the arrival of Bielsa in the summer of 2018.

Sarkic - who began his youth career in Belgium with Anderlecht - has made 37 appearances for Burton this season, scoring five times.

Speaking to Belgian media outlet Walfoot, 22-year-old Sarkic reflected on his time at Leeds and said: “Everything started very well, I had a good season with the under-23s, a new coach arrived.

"And then again, I suffered a big injury.

“Marcelo Bielsa arrived and at that time, at the beginning, it was a question that I would integrate with the first-team, but I was not physically ready yet.

“I did two training sessions with Bielsa, but he didn’t really know me, I think.

“I just saw that his methods were very different from what I could know, very strict.

"He’s a great coach, I really would have liked to work with him.”