Leeds United employee Noel Whelan has been reacting to the club’s move for Sonny Perkins, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Perkins in demand

Perkins officially left West Ham at the beginning of the month and was linked with Leeds, Aston Villa and Tottenham. It was the Whites who won the race for the 18-year-old’s signature, though, with the club confirming a deal last week.

Perkins has signed a three-year deal at Elland Road and is set to initially link up with the U21s, with a fee involved possibly set for tribunal.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Talking to FI regarding the move for Perkins, Whelan said that there is ‘real potential’ for the youngster to follow in the footsteps of Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood.

“I think it’s a really attractive proposition for players like him.

“There is that clear pathway from the Under-23’s into the first-team, and it’s not just filling spaces – there is real potential to be the next Gelhardt or Greenwood.

“Many young players at clubs around the country don’t really have that pathway in place, and that can be really frustrating.

“Leeds United have got that set-up in place.

“They’ve got a real successful track record of giving these kinds of players first-team football.”

The Verdict: Good to see

Leeds have put their trust in a number of youngsters over the last 12 months, making history with eight teenagers making their Premier League debuts during the 2021/22 campaign.

The club’s plans to sign and develop some of the best young players around appears to be working, and you’d expect that Perkins would have been fully aware of the pathway through to first team level in Yorkshire.

Hopefully, he’ll hit the ground running at Thorp Arch, and you never know, an impressive start could see him catch Jesse Marsch’s eye, which may result in a place in a first-team match-day squad sooner rather than later.