It’s been an interesting international break for the 10 Leeds United players who got the call-up this month. From World Cup qualifying campaigns ending in tears, to a comeback win over Brazil.
Joe Rodon scored again, but he, Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow suffered defeats to both England and Belgium. Gabriel Gudmundsson’s Sweden is set to miss out on the World Cup after two defeats.
The same goes for Ilia Gruev, with Bulgaria conceding 10 goals during their two games. Isaac Schmidt picked up a foot injury, but Jaka Bijol sent a message to Daniel Farke with two Slovenia clean sheets.
Ao Tanaka enjoyed the best result of the break among the Leeds players, coming on as a substitute and helping Japan beat Brazil on Tuesday. Brenden Aaronson played for America against Australia today.
Charlie Crew plays key role for Wales’ U21s after 7-0 hammering
Leeds youngster Charlie Crew, who is currently on loan at Doncaster Rovers for a second spell, was named Wales U21’s captain at the start of the break. It comes after starting for Wales’ senior side in September.
Crew’s first game as skipper resulted in a 7-0 hammering by Belgium’s U21 side. But on Tuesday night, Crew and Wales responded perfectly with a 2-0 win over Austria. A massive win for Wales’ U21 side.
After two defeats in their first two games in U21 European qualifying, Wales needed a win and they got it against Austria with Crew as skipper. It has given Wales an early lifeline in their bid to secure qualification.
What Ethan Ampadu has said about Charlie Crew
It’s not just those at Wales who rate Crew highly, but Leeds see a big talent in the young midfielder. Leeds skipper Ethan Ampadu is excited at the prospect of Crew, who could well partner him in midfield soon.
Last year, Ampadu told BBC Radio Leeds: “It’s great to see, we know how good Charlie is as a player. He’s at the start of his professional journey. We all know his potential and we want him to reach that.”
Whether Crew can reach the level of Ampadu and become his midfield partner for both club and country remains to be seen. But, as things stand, Crew is certainly heading in the right direction with the armband.
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