Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani made many promises when he first took over the Whites from Massimo Cellino. One was to resurrect the youth set-up at the club.
It was a part of the club that former owner Cellino had let go fallow as he hacked at the Whites haemorrhaging expenses. It was a move that ran parallel to players having to bring their own pack-up meals to training.
Those crazy times have mellowed somewhat, and successful shoots are more than blooming at the West Yorkshire club. At the forefront of this blossoming revival are the burgeoning Youth sides, showing that Radrizzani has kept his promise.
The initial rationale seemed to be to hoover up young players deemed to be surplus to requirements at top foreign club. In came players such as Hugo Diaz, Pascal Struijk and Kun Temenuzhkov from sides such as Rayo Vallecano, Ajax and Barcelona.
Phase 2 saw this foreign contingent added to, and augmented by, a raft of home-grown youngsters brought in from domestic clubs. Youngsters such as Ryan Edmondson, Jordan Stevens and Lief Davies arrived from York, Forest green and Morecambe.
This strategy has paid off in spades with the Under-23s winning their league, reaching the Premier League Cup semi-finals and last night beating Coventry 3-2 after extra-time to reach the final of the PDL-National. It was one of the contingent of foreign stars, Kun Temenzhkov who netted the winner with a glorious strike.
🔥🔥🔥 What a thunderbolt from Temenuzhkov! pic.twitter.com/x4xYaaWaLg
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 29, 2019
Once Kun wound back his leg, there was very little the keeper could do to react as the shot fizzed past him. Here’s how Leeds United fans reacted to the strike from the former Barcelona youngster.
Leeds United fans react after Kunderbolt flattens five Sky Blues
King Kun!!👏👏👏👏👏
— Andrew.ramsden (@Andrewramsden7) April 30, 2019
Thank you and goodnight ⚽️😉🙌👊
— chris howling (@ChrisHowling) April 30, 2019
To the keeper…. it’s behind youuu!!!
— Kevin Mander (@manderkj) April 30, 2019
Are they all related to Jack Grealish?
— Richard Booth (@RichardBooth10) April 30, 2019
Watching all the oppo players drop like stones when the ball hit the back of the net 😂😂
— Lee Ogden (@stackerbo) April 29, 2019
He can keep the ball down when shooting. Most of first team player’s shots go over the bar.
— Andrew Jenkins (@Jenksy61) April 29, 2019
Reminded me of Aguero that 🔥🔥🔥
— Russ Pagdin💙💛 (@RussPagdin) April 30, 2019