Leeds United's under-23 side capped a memorable season in style on Monday, beating Birmingham City on penalties to secure the PDL-National title.
The dramatic shoot-out victory in front of almost 8,000 fans at Elland Road came after Carlos Corberan's side win the PDL North title in March and also progressed to the semi-finals of the Premier League Cup.
In additional to the fine form that the young Whites displayed, a host of players have made the step up to Marcelo Bielsa's first-team.
Of the 14 players who featured in the final against Birmingham, 12 have featured in at least one of Bielsa's squads and eight have played, which includes six senior professional debuts.
Hopes are understandably high for this current crop and Corberan believes that Leeds' decision to nurture their best young talent at the club, rather than sending players out on loan to gain first-team experience in the lower leagues is playing dividends.
"No doubts," the Spaniard told LeedsLive following the Elland Road victory.
"This is our philosophy because sometimes when people put the players out on loan and they develop in other conditions. It's important for our club to know what the conditions are to control the players in small details like their weight, the prevention work, the tactical work, the technical work, the physical work and I think the conditions that we have at Leeds United nowadays, are high-level conditions.
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"Of course when you are playing men's football, it's another type of football, but they have to experience what we do in the week. Improving them makes them more ready to play one style of game, and I think that helps them arrive at the first team more.
"The players who have potential and the mentality to arrive ,if they are here in the under-23s, then they are going to arrive if they focus and show the quality is there, because they play alike to the first team."
While Monday's final win marks the end of the under-23s campaign, a number of Corberan's charges such as Jack Clarke, Jamie Shackleton and Robbie Gotts will be hoping to contribute in the senior team's play-off push.
