Shackleton, 23, impressed so far this season after playing his way into Daniel Farke’s first-team plans last year while on loan at Millwall in the Championship.
Shackleton has filled gaps that needed to be filled in the team due to a variety of circumstances. He entered the club’s youth as a central midfielder, played right back under Marco Bielsa, and is presently playing left back.
While it can be frustrating to not have a regular position locked down, Shackleton has ensured it is all about putting the club first and has drawn on inspiration from Dallas’ contributions to the Whites over the years.
“Stu (Stuart Dallas) was someone I used to follow every week since he played multiple positions across the field and did an amazing job in each one. The Leeds United Podcast, which was broadcast on the team’s official YouTube account on September 8th, quoted Shackleton as saying, “Right now, I’m kind of doing the same thing while being played in a few different spots.
Like him, all I’m trying to do is do my best to fill that role and do it effectively. In addition to opening up options elsewhere that other individuals might not be able to take advantage of, it can also lead to problems rather than remaining in one ideal location.
Admired
Longtime Elland Road supporters know how much they appreciate a player who can go in anywhere on the field and assist the club as needed. The team has had some fantastic utility players over the years, including Stuart Dallas, who Shackleton mentions as a more recent example of a player going above and beyond for the team, and Paul Madeley, also known as “Play Anywhere Paul” because he played in almost every position for Don Revie.
Shackleton won’t affect his reputation with the Leeds United supporters at all if he can contribute in the same way as any of these two former stars. It is obvious that Farke has a lot of faith in him, and he has so far reciprocated that faith with some strong performances.
After so many players left West Yorkshire this summer, 18 to be exact, fans will just be happy to see someone who is putting the club before himself, a trait which is so rare in modern football.
