Marcelo Bielsa has certainly made a positive impact both on and off-the-field with Leeds United, as they target a long-awaited promotion back into the Premier League.

That transformation has been seen in the club's under-23s setup as well, with a number of players catching the eye with some impressive performances in the last year.

One of those is Bryce Hosannah, who remained with Leeds despite a Scottish club reportedly launching a bid to sign him in the January transfer window. The bid was rejected by the Yorkshire-based club, and you would imagine that the youngster will have his eyes firmly set on pushing for a spot in the first team at the earliest of opportunities.

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, former Leeds man Noel Whelan admitted that the club made the right call in knocking back any approaches for Hosannah and felt that some of the club's academy players will be pushing for a spot in the first-team in the near future.

"When we look back throughout the years our development squads and under-23s have been very, very good to the club.

"We’ve got the right structure, we’ve got the right people in. We’re seeing a flurry of good young talent through the academy and showing the proof that it works."

"You can’t let a player go that’s wanted, other clubs will see the talent and you’ve got to let them flourish at the club that he’s at. That time will come for him and it will probably be, hopefully, sooner rather than later.

"We know how demanding the leagues are. Pressure and competition is healthy, especially when it’s coming from young players who are hungry as well. They’ll be showing no fear. The respect will be there for the players ahead of them but they won’t be showing any fear about taking their places."

Due to recent off-the-field events, Leeds aren't due back in action until the 2nd May, when they're due to take on relegation-threatened Charlton Athletic at Elland Road.

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The Verdict: 

I think the club made the right call in rejecting approaches for Hosannah.

He might not be in contention to challenge for a spot in the Leeds first team at the moment, but he's certainly one to watch for the future.

Marcelo Bielsa has already shown that he's willing to give younger members of the squad a chance in the first team, with the likes of Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton being just some of the players to feature for Leeds in the past.

There is a clear pathway into the first team whilst Bielsa remains in charge of the Whites, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Hosannah involved in the matchday squad at some point in the next couple of seasons.