Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan says that striker Eddie Nketiah's decision to leave Elland Road in the January transfer window and return to Arsenal has proven to be the right one.

Nketiah spent the first half of this season on loan with Leeds, but was restricted to just two league starts for Marcelo Bielsa's side, and scored five goals in 19 appearances in total in all competitions for the Championship promotion chasers.

Since returning to Arsenal last month, Nketiah has made five appearances altogether under recently appointed manager Mikel Arteta, starting his side's last two games, and netting his first Premier League goal since his return to The Emirates in the Gunners' 3-2 win over Everton on Sunday.

That is a run that Whelan feels has vindicated the 20-year-old's decision to end his loan with Leeds, as he told Football Insider: “He has just proved he was right in going back.

“When a new manager comes in it give you a different perspective of a chance at a football club. I like the fact Arteta is giving Eddie a chance. He will improve playing next to Aubameyang, Pepe and Ozil."

Discussing what Leeds are missing out on with Nketiah's departure, Whelan could not help but lament the loss of the striker to the Elland Road club, as he continued: “This kid is a natural goalscorer and we have now seen on Sunday he can do the horrible side as well.

“We would have loved to have kept him but when he has an opportunity at his proper club in the Premier League I cannot fault him for going to do that. He backed himself and he is right – he has the ability.

“It was an excellent finish. He is a natural finisher. That is something you cannot put into Patrick Bamford.”

Despite the loss of Nketiah, Leeds still look to be in a strong position to secure promotion back to the Premier League this season.

A return of seven points from their last three games cementing their position in the automatic promotion places, three points clear of the play-off places, with a game in hand on some of those behind them - which comes away at Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

The Verdict

I do think Whelan is right here.

With the struggles for game time Nketiah was enduring at Leeds, the striker is unlikely to have been happy at Elland Road, so his decision to leave the club had always seemed understandable in the first place.

Now that he is getting those first-team opportunities he wanted - and performing well in the process - there can be no doubt that Nketiah will feel as if he made the right call in cutting short that loan spell.

The fact that this progress is now being made with Arsenal rather than another loan club only strengthens that sense of vindication further, given any worries he may have had about his chances in the first-team upon his return to the Emirates ought to have already disappeared.