Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has praised defender Gaetano Berardi for the way he came into the side against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
The 30-year-old was due to appear on the bench for the Championship clash at Elland Road, but started the game at centre-back following an injury to captain Liam Cooper in the warm-up.
The Swiss defender was making his first start for Leeds since October, after missing over four months of the season with a torn hamstring, which has limited him to only 11 appearances for Marcelo Bielsa's promotion-chasing side.
Former Whites striker Whelan was very impressed with the way he performed after being called into the starting line-up at the last minute.
“Berardi was excellent,” Whelan said told Football Insider.
“To put in a performance like that at centre-back after thinking he would be on the bench shows what a massive asset Leeds have got in reserve. He is quite remarkable.
“You wouldn’t have known he hadn’t started in six months. That has been the story of Leeds’ season. When called upon, due to injuries or suspensions, players have produced and they’ve been doing it all season.”
Leeds took a big step towards automatic promotion on Saturday evening with a 1-0 win over their Yorkshire rivals at Elland Road.
Jack Harrison's 65th-minute strike was enough for the three points, as the Whites moved back up to second in the Championship table.
Marcelo Bielsa's side are now three points ahead of third-placed Sheffield United in the automatic promotion race and are only four behind leaders Norwich City, with just four matches left to play.
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The Verdict
Whelan is spot on. Berardi has endured a frustrating campaign for Leeds, after missing months of the season through injury.
He had only made two substitute appearances for the Whites since returning from his setback and deserves great credit for the way he was able to slot into the defence.
Leeds have suffered several injuries to key first-team players this season and the way they have been able to keep going is quite remarkable. They have put themselves in a great position to finish the season with promotion.
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