Much has been made of Charlie Cresswell’s stellar performance for England under-21s at the EUROs.
The 49ers won’t want to repeat the same mistake of letting Cresswell go with another player this summer.
This comes after Leeds United watched the centre-back flourish for the young Three Lions as England beat Czech Republic 3-1.
Leeds fans were baffled they sold Cresswell, and the England performance isn’t the only evidence to show this, as he has also been flourishing for Toulouse in Ligue 1.
Now, Joe Hart has weighed in on Cresswell’s move and gave his verdict on whether he made the right choice.
Joe Hart’s verdict on Charlie Cresswell leaving Leeds United
The fanbase won’t want a theme to develop with young players leaving and then going on to better things.
Well, this could happen this summer with Mateo Joseph agreeing to leave Leeds as the Spaniard could thrive away from Elland Road.
That’s exactly what Cresswell has done since joining Toulouse, and it’s become clear Cresswell is now worth a fortune.
Speaking to Channel 4 during the coverage of England’s win (14th minute), Hart made something clear about Cresswell jumping ship from Leeds.
“Love seeing stuff like that. Willing to go abroad, play at a good level, life experiences. Football experiences, it can only help,” Hart said.
“Especially if you get in the first team and stay in the first team, home sickness doesn’t come into it.”
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Cresswell would make for the perfect Premier League centre-back at Leeds
It is strange how the 49ers let a player of Cresswell’s promise go for peanuts, as regret is surely seeping through now.
Cresswell’s ‘dream’ of playing for Leeds was ruined by Daniel Farke, and it was a harsh reality for the 22-year-old.
But surely now, after seeing his Ligue 1 performances, Farke is unsure why he ever let the centre-back leave.
| Cresswell’s statistics for Toulouse in 24/25 Ligue 1 season | |
| Games played | 31 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Tackles won % | 65.7% |
| Aerial duels won % | 66.4% |
| Duels won per 90 | 5.25 |
Farke and the owners will have to make amends, and thankfully for them, Cresswell hasn’t ruled out a Leeds return.
His brilliant header against the Czech on Thursday showed how he could be perfect for the top flight in years to come if his progression continues.
Judging by this, he’s certainly on the right path, and who knows, maybe Cresswell will aim even higher than Leeds to Farke’s dismay.
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