Alan Shearer has moved to praise Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier following his Premier League Young Player of the Season nomination, but still believes there is room for improvement.
Meslier kept 11 clean sheets in his 35 Premier League appearances this term, quickly putting to bed any fears that the 21-year-old's lack of top-flight experience would present problems for Leeds United this season.
This form has seen him earn a nomination alongside the likes of Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford in the running for the Premier League's best young player gong, with former England skipper Shearer singing his praises.
"Goalkeepers often get overlooked for these awards but Meslier has had an exceptional first season in the Premier League," he told the Premier League website.
“He’s an excellent shot-stopper first and foremost, keeping 11 clean sheets. His positioning is also as strong as is his distribution and he ranks fourth overall in save percentage while also facing the fourth-most shots in the league.”
The ex-Newcastle striker then looked to offer some constructive criticism.
"He has made a couple of errors this season," he added. "So I'd say he needs to work on his focus. But overall he's got a lot of room to improve."
Given the amount of work Meslier had to do and saves he had to make this season, Leeds fans may take umbrage with Shearer's take here, as the Frenchman's consistency and level-headedness were two of his key traits, with errors, such as the one against Arsenal in February few and far between.
Is Shearer's criticism fair? Let us know in the comments below.
Fans have until Thursday at 6pm to cast their vote for the Premier League Young Player of the year award.
