Two of Leeds United's best and brightest hopes for the future faced off in League Two yesterday, as Robbie Gotts, now of Salford City, and Alfie McCalmont of Oldham Athletic met on opposing sides for the first time.
The game finished with McCalmont's Oldham running out 2-1 winners at Boundary Park, with the young Northern Irishman drawing praise from his manager and ex-Leeds man Harry Kewell.
Speaking to the Oldham Times after the game, Kewell described McCalmont as his Man of the Match.
"He was all over the place – fast, furious, getting on the ball, confident on the ball, just perfect for me today.
“Even in the first half he was getting on the ball and he was trying to work things.
“His performance was superb.”
It was glowing praise for a player who has taken to life relatively well in the fourth tier.
McCalmont has been a regular in midfield for Kewell's side, scoring three goals in the process, including strikes against Cambridge United and Newport County in crucial wins.
It will have been a strange outing for both McCalmont and Gotts, facing each other rather than featuring in the same team.
Fortunately for Gotts, he is spending more time on the pitch in League Two with Salford City, as opposed to his spell in the first half of the season with Lincoln City of League One.
Despite patchy recent form, Salford are chasing a play-off spot this season, while Oldham remain very much in the middle of the pack.
From a developmental perspective, competitive football for both Gotts and McCalmont will only serve them well, especially if their teams are challenging for the play-offs in the ensuing months.
Oldham boss Kewell is certainly a fan of McCalmont's, especially in light of his most recent comments; it is therefore increasingly likely that he will reprise his role as a first-team regular for the remainder of the season before returning to Elland Road to assess his future.
