As soon as he scored the winner on Wednesday night, I knew I was going to have to say something about it.
I’m sure a lot of you will remember how cautious I was when Leeds announced the loan-signing of Eddie Nketiah, but he has gotten off to a fantastic start, I will credit him with that. However, I’m not quite ready to join in with all the hype and hyperbole that Leeds fans are bestowing upon him just yet.
After his goal against Salford City last week, and now this one against Brentford, things are certainly looking promising. However, history tells us, that we should be careful about hyping him up so soon.
Remember when Ben Woodburn first burst onto the scene with Liverpool and Wales, and there was plenty of hype around him, and how he could possibly have played for England. He now finds himself playing for Oxford United in League One. From that goal against Austria to the third tier in a little under two years, is just one example of how you can start high but end up low incredibly quickly.
Or take Frederico Macheda at Manchester United. I’m sure a lot of you will remember his famous debut goal against Aston Villa. He was another one that got a lot of attention in the media in the aftermath of that incredible moment. Since that though his career hasn’t quite panned out the way it was meant to after that bright start. He’s bounced around a few clubs and his currently plying his trade at Panathinaikos.
There have of course been players who burst onto the scene and then lived up to the hype, the most obvious example is Wayne Rooney. From that goal against Arsenal to one of the most accomplished players English football has ever produced. But until we get a decent sample size, we don’t know which category Nketiah will fall into
Whilst I was certainly sceptical of the signing of Nketiah when it was first announced, I certainly don’t want him to fail, I just wasn’t all that happy with him being the answer to losing the goals that left the club when Kemar Roofe departed. If things work out at the end of the season, I’ll gladly hold my hands up and say that I was wrong, but I’m not going to get on the bandwagon just yet.