Big opportunity for rising Leeds United youngsters with deals offered to nine as eight depart

A big opportunity beckons for emerging Leeds United youngsters via the release of a particular octet of players as part of the club's retained list.

United unveiled their retained list for the 2024-25 season late on Friday afternoon, on which Luke Ayling and the retiring Stuart Dallas were the big names announced as being released upon their contracts expiring.

Ayling, though, had already signed a two-year deal to join Middlesbrough whilst the news that Dallas would be retiring due to the femoral fracture injury that he suffered had already been announced in April.

Ian Poveda, meanwhile, another player who is being released, was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday for the second half of last season and at 24 years of age it was not difficult to assume that his future lied elsewhere.

But the other octet of players that Leeds are releasing are all aged 21 or under which therein leaves gaps to be filled and possible huge opportunities for members of United's FA Youth Cup side.

At 21, Lewis Bate is the most experienced of the younger players departing Leeds, the England youth international midfielder having bags of EFL games under his belt from recent loan spells at Oxford United and MK Dons. He has not played for United's under-21s since December.

But the vast majority of the other seven players departing were either regulars recent features of the under-21s side, leaving a big void but a time when the club's under-18s are clearly thriving.

Charlie Allen, 20, is the stand out name of the remaining seven departures as a Northern Ireland youth international. The attacking midfielder/winger spent time out on loan at York City at the back end of last season but then returned to the Whites and featured prominently as part of a decent end to a difficult season for the under-21s.

Keenan Carole, son of ex Whites player Sebastian, is another young attacking player that Leeds are releasing and another who had been featuring very prominently on the front line for the 21s.

At the other end of the pitch, Dani van Den Heuvel made ten league starts in goal for the 21s but will now depart the club whose first team bench he has made on seven occasions.

The Netherlands under-21s stopper departs without having played a single minute for United's first team, something that only Bate has to his name of those released aged 21 or under.

But all eight at the very least provided options, leaving a very clear opening for the youngsters left behind, eight of whom have been offered either new contracts or professional contracts.

Harvey Sutcliffe, Morten Spencer, Cuba Diboe and Scott Godden complete the list of youngsters released by Leeds and Sutcliffe and Spencer in particular were key parts of the 21s set up, Sutcliffe having worn the captain’s armband in the 21s draw versus Everton at the end of the season.

But the quartet will be moving on to pastures new as part of a summer in which Joe Snowdon is the notable stand out of the youngsters now out of contract who have been offered a new deal.

Snowdon, who was named the 21s players' player of the season, ended the campaign with a goals spree and it is no surprise that he, striker Luca Thomas and keeper Harry Christy have been offered new deals along with the more experienced Cody Drameh, largely due to financial reasons with the 22-year-old’s future still expected to lie elsewhere.

Of the club's scholars, professional contracts have been offered to a talented quintet of under-18s youngsters in Conor Douglas, Reuben Lopata-White, Joe Richards, Daniel Toulson and Marley Wilson.

All five have produced eye-catching displays at times for United's 18s with young centre back Lopata-White particularly impressive. He, and those youngsters that remain, now have a clear avenue opening in which to make further inroads with the Whites.

Leeds United retained list youngsters summary

Released

Charlie Allen

Lewis Bate

Keenan Carole

Cuba Diboe

Scott Godden

Ian Poveda

Morten Spencer

Harvey Sutcliffe

Dani van den Heuvel

Offered new contracts

Harry Christy

Joseph Snowdon

Luca Thomas

Scholars offered professional contracts

Connor Douglas

Reuben Lopata-White

Joseph Richards

Daniel Toulson

Marley Wilson