Leeds United made the decision to appoint Daniel Farke as their new head coach for the 2023/24 campaign after Sam Allardyce left at the end of last season.
The Whites were relegated from the Premier League under the one-time England manager and opted to go in a new direction by bringing in the German tactician.
He is a proven performer at this level as the former Borussia Dortmund II boss earned promotion from the Championship in two of his three second division seasons with Norwich City.
Statistic | 2018/19 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
Points | 94 | 97 |
Goals for | 93 | 75 |
Goals against | 57 | 36 |
Games won | 27 | 29 |
Farke’s Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports): | ||
As you can see in the table above, Farke has what it takes to lead teams to glory and can coach attack-minded sides that can score at will.
He currently has Leeds in fourth place with 17 goals in 11 matches and they are currently still in the race to secure an instant return to the top-flight.
The Whites may also have appointed Farke due to his proven ability to work with and develop young players. James Maddison, Todd Cantwell, Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey, Emiliano Buendia, and Oliver Skipp are just a few of the talented youngsters he developed during his time at Carrow Road.
Leeds have a number of fantastic prospects within their academy system at the moment and one player who could be unearthed as a future star is 20-year-old gem Sean McGurk, who could be Cantwell 2.0 for the German boss.
What’s the latest on Sean McGurk’s future?
Journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, recently reported that the club are prepared to send the young midfielder out on loan for the second half of the campaign.
The Whites want the U21 starlet to gain valuable minutes playing for a senior side at the start of next year, after they opted to keep him around the group for the first half of the season.
However, it remains to be seen how much interest there will be in the talented gem and if he will be able to secure a Championship, League One, or League Two switch to gain experience.
His season could end up being similar to the one that Cantwell went through during Farke’s first year at Norwich in the 2017/18 campaign.
The English wizard made his first-team debut in an FA Cup clash before being sent out on loan to Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands for the second half of the season.
Cantwell went on to produce two goals and three assists in ten league appearances for the Dutch side before breaking into the first-team at Carrow Road the following term.
He had put himself into a position to impress the head coach after a return of five goals and five assists in 42 U21 matches for the Yellows.
How many goals did Cantwell score for Norwich?
The former England U21 international scored 14 goals in 129 first-team appearances for the Canaries throughout his time at senior level for his hometown club.
Cantwell’s first experience of regular football for Norwich came during the 2018/19 promotion season as he played 27 matches in all competitions and contributed with one goal and two assists.
His real emergence as an impressive force for the East Anglian side came the following year as the talented wizard racked up six goals and two assists in 37 Premier League games, which included goals against Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
He followed that up with six goals and seven assists in 33 Championship clashes throughout the 2020/21 campaign, which led to another league title for Cantwell and Farke.
The German head coach was relieved of his duties in November 2021 and the Canaries academy product did not score or assist another goal for the club before his move to Rangers at the start of this year.
However, the versatile ace, who can play as a central midfielder, a number ten, or on either flank, was an excellent attacking option for Farke during their time together, at Premier League and Championship level.
How many goals has McGurk scored for Leeds this season?
The 20-year-old dynamo has contributed with six goals in all competitions for the U21s so far this season and has showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.
McGurk has chipped in with six goals and four assists in nine matches and this shows that the Thorp Arch ace has been a nightmare for opposition defences throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
His immense form, which shows that he can score and assist goals in Cantwell-esque fashion, this term has come off the back of a return of three goals and one assist in 15 Premier League 2 outings last season.
The Liverpool-born whiz started his career with Wigan and scored three goals and provided one assist in five FA Youth Cup matches before Leeds snapped him up in 2021.
McGurk can play off either flank or in an attacking midfield position, like Cantwell, and is now starting to show off his ability to contribute with goals and assists week-in-week-out at U21 level.
What’s next for McGurk?
The plan appears to be for the 20-year-old marksman, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed has a “big future”, to continue to shine for the U21 side between now and January to drum up interest in him for a beneficial loan move for the second half of the campaign.
He has previously displayed his ability to perform against lower league opposition in the EFL Trophy for Leeds. McGurk produced 2.3 key passes per game across three matches against Tranmere, Oldham, and Salford during the 2021/22 season.
That was an impressive return when you consider that no Leeds player has created more than 2.5 chances per match in the Championship for Farke’s first-team so far this term.
The Thorp Arch prospect has the potential to make a breakthrough at senior level in the future, based on his exceptional form this year, but he needs to prove himself in a first-team environment out on loan during the second half of the season, as Cantwell did under Farke back in 2018.
It will then be down to McGurk to make the most of his opportunity and then return to Leeds next summer with the aim of making his way into the German’s plans in the same way that the ex-Norwich midfielder did.
Therefore, Farke could unearth his new version of the Rangers star by working with the exciting talent to unlock his ability at senior level over the coming years.
