Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has showcased his willingness to trust and develop academy talents in his debut season with the Yorkshire-based side.
The German boss worked the likes of James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons, and Emiliano Buendia during his time with Norwich City, and has now provided Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray with opportunities to shine this season.
Gray, who was 17 at the start of the campaign, made his senior debut under the Whites manager this term and has racked up 36 appearances in the Championship so far.
The England U21 international is the first-choice option for Farke at right-back, whilst Joseph is currently the back-up to Patrick Bamford in the number nine position, and this shows that the tactician is prepared to bring academy gems into the team if they are good enough and ready to feature.
This bodes well for the array of talent currently occupying the U21 and U18 teams at Thorp Arch, as they know that the club have a manager who will not ignore them if they perform to a high level, in matches and in training.
Current U18s star Josh McDonald is one player who could have his eyes on a future place in the first-team, and Farke could eventually unearth him as a homegrown heir to Dan James, who has had somewhat of a revival at Elland Road this season.
Dan James' initial struggles at Leeds
In the summer of 2021, former Leeds duo Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta swooped to sign the Wales international from Manchester United for a reported fee of £25m.
The forward started regularly throughout the 2021/22 campaign for Bielsa, and then his replacement Jesse Marsch, but failed to deliver goals and assists at an impressive rate.
He produced four goals, with eight 'big chances' missed, and assisted four for his teammates, with 0.8 key passes per game, over 31 Premier League starts.
His less-than-impressive form at the top end of the pitch, after a big £25m move to Elland Road, led to a loan to league rivals Fulham for the 2022/23 campaign.
Appearances
24
Starts
7
Goals
2
Assists
1
Key passes per game
0.4
As you can see in the table above, James also struggled during his time with the Cottagers as he only racked up three direct goal contributions in 24 matches.
His lack of end product on the wing in the Premier League may have contributed to Fulham's decision to send him back to Elland Road last summer, instead of attempting to sign him on a permanent basis.
That did, however, provide Leeds and Farke with an opportunity to help him regain his confidence by playing regular football in the Championship this season.
Dan James' impressive form this season
The 26-year-old speedster has started 24 of his 34 appearances in the second tier for the Whites so far this season, and has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
James has plundered an eye-catching 12 goals and seven assists in those 24 starts – a return of one goal or assist every 1.26 starts on average in the league.
Only Wilfried Gnonto (2.72) has outscored his Expected Goals by more than James (1.8) within the Leeds squad, as the electric winger has found the back of the net 12 times from an xG of 10.2.
This shows that the former Manchester United forward has been efficient in front of goal, and not wasted many opportunities to get his name on the scoresheet.
The Welsh wizard has also showcased his creativity with 12 'big chances' created and 1.5 key passes per game across his 34 league matches for Leeds this term. He ranks within the top 5% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.29) per 90, and the top 8% for assists (0.30) per 90.
These statistics show that the Whites star has been an excellent operator as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst having the quality to operate on either the right or the left wing for Farke.
In total, James has racked up 16 goals and 12 assists in 77 appearances in all competitions since he made the move to Leeds in the summer of 2021, which is a return of 2.75 matches per game on average.
Josh McDonald's Leeds potential
Leeds swooped to sign McDonald from Scottish side Hamilton Academical in the summer of 2023, at the age of 16, amid interest from Premiership giants Glasgow Rangers.
Football Insider quoted an unnamed Scotland U18 coach as describing the talented teenager as an "exceptional" young gem, which is why he played for his country at U18 level despite being just 16 at the time.
The outlet noted the club's desire to bolster the quality of their youth teams across the board, which is why they were keen to sign the 16-year-old to add him to their U18 group.
McDonald has been playing for Leeds at that level so far this season and has caught the eye with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.
Like James, the Scottish wizard has the ability to play on either the left or the right side of the attack, rather than being restricted to one or the other, and that could help his first-team chances as he could fill in for multiple positions.
As you can see in the table below, McDonald has featured regularly for the club in the league and the cup during his debut campaign in English football.
Appearances
4
17
Minutes played
344
1,028
Goals
0
5
Assists
1
3
He has racked up eight direct goal contributions in 17 appearances for the U18s this season, which is a return of one goal or assist every 2.13 outings on average – better than James' Leeds career average of one every 2.75 games.
These statistics show that McDonald, like the Wales international, can both score and create goals at a decent rate from either the right or left wing.
At the age of 17, the Scottish maestro also has plenty of time left to develop and progress over the years to come, and could be a player Farke keeps an eye on for the future as a possible long-term homegrown heir to James, who is nine years older than him.
It would be a dream scenario for Leeds and the German boss as the club would not need to splash out millions on a replacement for the Welshman, should McDonald continue to progress and emerge as a senior option.