Noel Whelan has shared his thoughts on who he believes can make a big step-up for Leeds this season.

Speaking to Football Insider, he suggested 17-year-old Mateusz Bogusz is ready for first-team action after impressing at youth level for the club.

The Polish midfielder has been part of Marcelo Bielsa's pre-season plans and has impressed so far, which means he could be in contention for the first-team ahead of the new season.

“He’s a real prospect for the future and I think he might have a big part to play this campaign," said Whelan.

“He’s been a midfield player who’s been quietly coming through the ranks and showing extreme quality. He’s a player who can step up to the mark in the Championship this season and I believe we’ll be seeing a lot more of him this campaign.

“He has got really good feet, technically he’s very, very good, and you can see that he’s got a delightful strike on him with the goal that he scored. I would not be surprised at all if he made a breakthrough like the other young lads did last season.

Bogusz started Leeds' recent match against Western Sydney Wanderers and grabbed the opening goal with a pinpoint first-time strike following a low ball from Barry Douglas.

If he can adjust to Bielsa's style of play and fit into his system, then he will quickly win the manager's approval and given his talent will likely chip in with goals and assists.

The Verdict

Leeds have enjoyed a lot of success from their academy in recent years, with Kalvin Phillips and Jack Clarke shining examples of what it can produce, and this could be the season for Bogusz to make his mark.

The difficulty for Bogusz is that there is good depth at the club in his natural position, and therefore he could struggle to make the impact he might hope for, even if he does display his talent.

He will be judged early on and will need to be at the top of his game considering Leeds' ambitions this year, and if he falls out of Bielsa's favour then he could struggle to get back into first-team contention.