Leeds United winger Daniel James was impressed with the bottle shown by the youngsters during the penalty shootout victory over Fulham.
Four of the club’s impressive under-23s side were handed the chance to impress at Craven Cottage, including Stuart McKinstry and Joe Gelhardt, who both made their first-team debuts from the bench.
Charlie Cresswell and Crysencio Summerville were also handed starts by Marcelo Bielsa, with the latter making his first for the club following his substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Friday night.
The two sides could not be separated after 90 minutes of football and when Adam Forshaw spurned the chance to seal the spot-kick victory, it was down to the youngsters to hold their nerve.
Both McKinstry and Gelhardt were tasked with scoring from 12 yards in sudden death with the two sides locked at 4-4 after six penalties each.
But the teenaged duo showed no signs of nerves as they both confidently stepped up and dispatched their efforts like two seasoned professionals.
Speaking to LUTV following the match, James, who was also one of the scorers in the shootout for Leeds, was impressed with the way they held their nerve despite the pressurised situation.
He said: “Full credit to them as it’s not easy to stand up, come on for their debut and take a penalty.
“I don’t think with the order of penalty takers they were at that they thought they would have taken one today, but you’ve got to be ready, and they certainly were.”
