It is no secret that Leeds United have been lacking in the striker department recently. Patrick Bamford has yet to regain the form he showed in the first season back in the Premier League when he scored 17 goals, mainly due to a series of injuries that hampered his progress in the side. Joe Gelhardt has shown signs of promise, but has made more of an impression coming on from the bench rather than starting games.
Now I’m not for one minute suggesting Sonny Perkins is the answer to all our problems in attack and he should be starting for the senior side, however, I do feel the time is right for him to have more involvement in the first team. His form and goal return for the U21s is fantastic, and he has done it regularly for club and country.
The forward who arrived in the summer from West Ham, has hit the ground running, scoring goals for fun in the U21s. His stunning 33-minute hat-trick for England U19s against Georgia in midweek added to his debut goal against Montenegro just a few days earlier taking his total to 10 goals in 7 games in all competitions.
You can always base a young player’s potential on the reaction from his former club’s fans when they leave, and Perkins snubbing a new deal at The Hammers to sign for Leeds raised a lot of pulses down in the East End of London. The club voiced their anger after investing millions in the youth squad and said of their disappointment that Perkins had chosen to continue his development elsewhere.
Surely it is now time for Perkins to be involved in the first team in some capacity? Even if it is just a stint on the bench to give him a taste of first-team football. I honestly think he could be a great option to bring on with 20 or 30 minutes left, especially if we are chasing a game and need goals.
What do fans think, should Sonny Perkins be moved up from the U21s? Let us know in the comments.
Are you a Leeds expert? Try our quiz and see.