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‘Superb’ – EFL manager lauds ‘perfect’ outing for Leeds United midfielder

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Oldham Athletic manager Harry Kewell has sung the praises of on-loan Leeds United man Alfie McCalmont after his match-winning brace away to Bradford City on Tuesday night.

Leeds have always been able to boast a very strong academy, even when at the depths of League One, with a Thorp Arch conveyor hero churning talent out every single season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival only boosted that with his willingness to bolster the foundations of the club and place his faith in the youth system, handing out a number of debuts to young players in the Championship.

Since then, the club has managed to be granted Category One status for the academy, meaning they receive extra funding from the Premier League along with the under-23s now playing in the Premier League 2.

One of the shining lights of the academy over the past few years is holding midfielder Alfie McCalmont, who has shown his potential despite limited access to first-team exposure.

Promotion to the top flight of course limited him further and, like others, meant a loan move to the EFL was the best thing for his development.

He subsequently secured a move to League Two Oldham Athletic, managed by Harry Kewell, and has got off to a flier at Boundary Park.

In their Papa John’s Trophy clash at Bamford City on Tuesday night, McCalmont secured the win for the Latics with two well-taken goals late into the game, the first senior strikes of his career.

After the game, Kewell spoke very highly of the Leeds youngster. He stated to the club’s official site: “Perfect for Alfie.

“It was great he got two goals, I thought he was superb tonight.”

We haven’t seen the attacking side to McCalmont’s game yet considering he’s deployed as a holding midfielder in our academy, but it’s clear he’s got it in his locker.

Both of those goals were very well taken and the runs he made suggest he could easily play in attacking midfielder overlapping a striker.

He’s got a battle on his hands to break into Leeds’ senior midfield setup in the Premier League but guaranteed game time is perfect for him right now.

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Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.