Tyler Adams has set the standard for midfielders at Leeds United and across many clubs in the Premier League this season, but Darko Gyabi sees more than one role model in his position at Elland Road. While the American has commanded the headlines and player ratings, Marc Roca and Mateusz Klich have also caught the 18-year-old’s eye.
Gyabi’s among the select few under-21 stars who have ended up training with the first team more often than not this season. It’s no major surprise after a £5m summer switch from Manchester City, but Gyabi’s had to prove himself to management with a clean slate in West Yorkshire.
While he’s dominated games with the under-21s and been an unused substitute on multiple occasions, Gyabi’s had to make do with one block of 90 first-team minutes under Jesse Marsch. To build on that EFL Cup outing, he needs to keep analysing Adams, Klich, Roca et al.
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“Not just Tyler, but Marc, Klichy, all the midfielders,” he said. “Learning, just learning the little details like where their positioning is when we don’t have the ball and when we do have the ball the spaces they’re picking up to receive.
“Like checking their shoulders, scanning, trying to receive and turn and play forwards. That stuff and trying to take it all in.”
Playing at City gave Gyabi a certain expectation for the way first-team players may act. While he admits he was with what was their under-23 group more often than not, his impressions of senior players’ behaviour were surpassed when he arrived at Thorp Arch.
“So crazy it was so welcoming,” he said. “When I first came I wasn’t really expecting it because they’re all first-team established, but they were so welcoming showing me around the training ground.”
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