Marcelo Bielsa was renowned for handing out debuts for Leeds United to young players and one of those was winger Liam McCarron – a Scotland U21 winger who has impressed in the Under-21’s.
Able to play at full-back or on the wing, McCarron had impressed for our second string – playing 38 times for Leeds’ U21 side and scoring four goals. That form saw Bielsa hand him his senior Leeds debut.
In December 2021, McCarron was given the last few minutes of a 4-1 Premier League defeat against Arsenal. But that was his only senior appearance for us, and he left Elland Road in the summer of 2022.
The 23-year-old made a solid-looking move to Championship side Stoke. Fast forward more than 18 months, and it is a move that has not worked. He went on loan to Port Vale in his first season at Stoke.
Liam McCarron struggling at Stoke after Leeds exit in 2022
Just four appearances for the Staffordshire side, returning to Stoke in the summer. But this season, he has only managed one senior outing. 16 minutes against Brighton in The FA Cup, a 4-2 third-round loss.
Indeed, he has played nine times for Stoke’s U21 side this season – but it is clearly not going to plan. A player that looked very promising given he won a Premier League debut under Bielsa – not building on it.
McCarron signed a three-year deal at Stoke in 2022 and will enter the final 12 months of his deal with Tuesday night’s opponents in the summer. It is likely he will go out on loan, with his future up in the air.
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