Leeds United midfielder Alex Wollerton has today joined non-league Darlington on a month-long loan deal. 

The 19-year-old has been involved in the Whites' under-23 and under-18 squads so far this season but is yet to get a look in at Marcelo Bielsa's senior side.

He becomes the 11th Leeds player to leave Elland Road on loan this season, joining the likes of Caleb Ekuban, Malik Wilks, Tyler Denton and Eunan O'Kane on spells away from the club.

Wollerton will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jack Clarke, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Tom Pearce, Connor Shaughnessy and Jamie Shackleton as players from the academy who have broken into the first-team this season.

Bielsa will be keen to leap above Norwich City this weekend and top the Championship table when they face Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

A 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers last weekend saw them open up a five-point lead on third-place Sheffield United, trailing the Canaries by just a point.

The verdict 

This is the right decision and hopefully, Wollerton will look to grasp it with both hands.

Bielsa has proven himself to be very willing when it comes to giving the club's youth players a shot in the first-team and there is no reason that cannot be the 19-year-old later this year.