As domestic fixtures come back into view, one Leeds United ace has been advised to take a leaf out of Kalvin Phillips’ book if he wants to ensure more game time for himself.
Daniel Farke has got Leeds playing with purpose now, and he’ll surely want to see his new side pick up three points against his old employers, Norwich City, on Saturday.
The all whites sit just two points above the Canaries and whilst a loss won’t necessarily harm the visitors, it will disrupt their momentum.
Norwich supporters will remember only too fondly the way in which the German got the squad up into the Premier League, and that’s an expectation for Leeds this season.
Should that happen, Jamie Shackleton might want to look for alternative employment according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist, Graham Smyth.
“Shackleton would clearly love nothing more than to remain at Leeds beyond the end of his current contract next summer but if the Whites are to be promoted will he play in the Premier League?’ he wrote.
“He did in the first two post-promotion campaigns, although not as often as he would have liked, and then spent last season out on loan with Millwall.
“At some point, if Shackleton wants to be as ever-present in a team as [Kalvin] Phillips was at Leeds prior to his exit, then following his old pal out the door might be a necessary step.
“On the evidence of this season so far, there is a place for Shackleton at Leeds and giving up a potential second promotion, this time with fans present, would be a hard pill to swallow.”
According to WhoScored, Shackleton has made nine appearances in all competitions this season, though as Smyth suggests, stepping up a division might well see the 24-year-old drop back down the pecking order again.
To that end and given his age, there’s an argument that it’s now or never for Shackleton should Leeds get the promotion they covet.
Were he to stay at Elland Road only to find history repeating itself, he’d only have himself to blame.