Leeds United signed a number of talented young players when Victor Orta was in charge.
The club benefited a lot from the youth policy, with some becoming first team players while others were sold for huge profit.
Pascal Struijk, Ian Poveda, Tyler Roberts and Joe Gelhardt were among some of the first signings under the young player recruitment.
Crysencio Summerville, who was signed in 2020 for a low fee, moved to West Ham for £25million this summer.
QUIZ: Can you name these 10 former Leeds United players?
Liverpool linked with former Leeds United star
Credit: Imago Images
Leeds United signed Leif Davis from Morecambe in 2018 for an undisclosed fee. The defender played for the academy side when he joined initially. After impressing with the U23 side, he was called up to the first team by Marcelo Bielsa.
Davis barely featured that season, and picked up a knee injury that ruled him out for the campaign. The defender never got a consistent run in the Leeds United first team. After spending a season on loan at Bournemouth, Davis moved to Ipswich Town on a permanent deal in 2022.
The defender mentioned how much of an impact Marcelo Bielsa had in his career:
“From day one when I walked in the door he told me he’d help me to improve my game, and he has done massively, going forward and defensively,”
“I didn’t think I had that quality in the final third, it definitely wasn’t my strongest point, but now I’d say it is.
“The way he has worked with me in training to be more comfortable with the ball at my feet in the final third, and to find passes instead of just getting it into the box and hoping for the best.
Now according to reports, Liverpool are interested in signing the defender who was sold for £1 million.
Why Leif Davis left Elland Road
Despite being highly rated at the club, and being one of the best players for the U23 side, the defender played just nine league games in three seasons.
When Davis moved to Ipswich Town he said the main reason he left Leeds United was to play more football:
“I am delighted to be here,”
“This is the best step for me at this point in my career. I want to play games and help the team in any way I can.
“I’ll always give it my all when I am out on the pitch and I can’t wait to meet the fans at Portman Road.”
Archie Gray, who has taken a similar path to Leif Davis in his career, has been linked with a move back to Leeds United on loan.
