Leeds United player hails 'frightening' Whites teen with shock club 'first' in training match

Whites Academy graduate Jamie Shackleton is still only 23 years old yet the versatile midfielder/full back found himself on the older players term in a recent Whites training game against the club’s youngsters. Speaking on the Official Leeds United Podcast, Shackleton joked that his place on the ‘old’ team came as a shock club first and did not sit well with him personally.

Shackleton, though, who has been with Leeds since the age of seven, and his older teammates ultimately had the last laugh in beating the Whites youngsters, of whom Archie Gray has made particularly giant strides since the start of the campaign.

Still only 17 years of age, Gray only made his first team debut in this season’s Championship opener at home to Cardiff City but the teen has started every game since for Daniel Farke’s side. Shackleton has been hugely impressed, describing the Whites youngster as “frightening” as he comes to terms with his own new status in a very young Whites group.

"He is unbelievable,” said Shackleton of Gray. "For his age, 17 years old, to be competing and playing the way he is, going toe to toe and more often than not having the upper hand on experienced Championship men is frightening. At 17 I was playing in the 23s, it wasn't until 18 that I managed to get in the team but the level he is at is top."

Asked if he saw experienced opposition players getting frustrated when a young whipper-snapper like Gray got the better of them, Shackleton admitted: “I know I would be if I was them. He doesn’t stop either, he has got a serious engine on him as well. He is absolutely everywhere, flying into tackles and getting stuck in so if I was against him and knowing he is 17 it would probably do my head in."

Shackleton, though, did find that experience over youth ultimately won the day in the recent old versus young Whites training match. Shackleton declared: “At the minute I am more towards the senior side than I am the younger side now in terms of our squad which is mad to say I am 23. But we have got a very young group.

"We had a game of young versus old the other day and for the first time ever I was just on the old team and I was like wow, 23, because obviously it is split down the middle. I don't think I liked it to be honest. But the oldies won.”