Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom has explained his decision to use Jay Roy-Grot against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday’s Championship clash at Elland Road.
The Whites suffered yet another frustrating defeat as they lost 2-1 against their Yorkshire derby rivals.
Atdhe Nuhiu scored two goals for the visitors including an injury time winner to seal the tie in Wednesday’s favour.
Leeds fans were given a hope to gain something from the match when Roy-Grot came on from the bench to score the equaliser in the 86th minute.
After the match, Heckingbottom said that he was impressed with how Roy-Grot has responded in training. The 20-year-old scored two goals in the midweek, and Heckingbottom said he was impressed with how the young striker was getting into good scoring areas.
“Jay’s been showing that, he’s been responding well, scored a couple of goals midweek and got in those areas where he scored his goal today to be honest,” said Heckingbottom, as quoted by Leeds Live.
He’s been doing that in training so when we get that goal you think at least we’ve got a draw out it, but not to be.
“Like I say he’s a young boy, only just turned 20 this week. As with the other young boys we’ve got in Bailey and Tom, they’ll see the diffeernece.
“The Championship is unforgiving, they’re at a big football club. It’s a big jump in level for all of them and we have to keep working them and pushing them because they’re not going to stay in the team unless they perform. So credit to Jay, he’s taken the opportunity, he’s scored a goal.”
Roy-Grot joined Leeds from NEC in the summer of 2017 for an undisclosed fee. He has made 15 appearances in the Championship this season, and all from the bench clocking just 164 minutes of action.
The youngster will be buoyed up by Heckingbottom’s comments about him, and will hope to get more opportunities in the coming matches.
Leeds have managed just one win in 2018 and find themselves in 14th position in the Championship table.
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