2 knock-on effects for Leeds United talent as journalist issues positive loan report

Leeds United midfielder Lewis Bate is doing well while on loan at Oxford United and is doing well to impress in League One.

The Whites sent a number of players on loan this summer in order to get better playing opportunities for young key players and fringe players.

Lewis Bate was one of those players, too good for under-21 football but not quite ready for the challenges of Premier League football.

He secured a loan deal at Oxford United, who have fallen out of favor by their typical play-off presence, but Bates’ performances impress the journalist Liam Rice Oxford Mailwho told YEP:

“Since returning from injury in late October, Bate has started to show signs of what’s at stake. He’s still behind Cameron Brannagan and Marcus McGuane in the pecking order, but when he’s in the starting XI or coming off the bench he stands out with his clean and incisive passing and dangerous set-piece passes.

Here we look at two knock-on effects Bates’ growing reputation at Kassam Stadium will have in the future…

More playing time

As mentioned, Bate is still competing with two very solid options for Karl Robinson, one being Brannagan – one of the league’s best midfielders – and the other another very talented player in McGuane, who was trained at Arsenal and Barcelona in the Past.

That he’s growing into this loan shows he’s good at senior football and will only get better with more time.

If that’s the case, expect him to get more playing time as the season progresses, which will hopefully lead to more success for Oxford.

They still have a gap to the top 6 but will be confident of bridging it in the second half of the season.