⚽️ training #lufc #mot pic.twitter.com/6qOQZwaCtm
— B Peacock-Farrell (@bailey_pf) December 6, 2017
Bailey Peacock-Farrell is a hugely promising and talented young goalkeeper, but the 21-year-old’s path at Leeds United is pretty much blocked. The youngster has made only one appearance in the Championship so far in his career, and that was back in April 2016. Leeds head coach Thomas Christiansen is switching between Andy Lonergan and Felix Wiedwald between the posts, and he is hardly ever in match day squads.
True, Peacock-Farrell could get chances in the FA Cup ties, but that is hardly going to much for a budding 21-year-old who should be playing regular football. With Leeds aiming to finish in the top six of the Championship this season – the West Yorkshire outfit are 10/1 to get promoted to the Premier League according to the latest Championship betting odds – head coach Christiansen is not going to take chances by playing a relatively inexperienced and young goalkeeper.
Both Lonergan and Wiedwald have made costly errors in the Championship so far this season, forcing Christiansen to change his goalkeeper from time to time. The two summer signings have not been entirely convincing, and Leeds fans would not mind the club bringing in another goalkeeper in the January transfer window.
However, despite the mistakes from Lonergan and Wiedwald, Peacock-Farrell still has not been given a chance, which is just why it would have been better had the youngster remained on loan at York City. Peacock-Farrell joined National League North side York on loan from Championship outfit Leeds for a month in October.
Great win today, a well deserved 3 points @YorkCityFC pic.twitter.com/CX4zqzO3Cl
— B Peacock-Farrell (@bailey_pf) November 4, 2017
The 21-year-old goalkeeper did well during his stint at Bootham Crescent, playing in all four of York’s National League North matches. The youngster conceded nine goals in those four games, of which one ended in a win and three in defeats. York manager Martin Gray did admit that he wanted to extend the goalkeeper’s loan spell, but nothing materialised.
At Leeds, he is basically training with the first team and doing precious little else. It would have made sense had the youngster remained on loan at York for a little longer and got more game time under his belt.
Peacock-Farrell should try to find another club in the January transfer window. Given that he signed a new three-year contract with Leeds in the summer, it is clear that the club rate him highly in some aspects and think that he has a long-term future at Elland Road. However, Peacock-Farrell is 21 years of age, and now is the time for him to play regularly or his development would be stunted. It would be best for both Leeds and the goalkeeper that he finds a club in the Championship, League One or League Two to play during the second half of the season. This is a key period in the development of Peacock-Farrell, and if not addressed, then both the player and the club could regret it in the long run.