Teenage defender Coban Bird has committed his future to Leeds United. The youngster has signed his maiden professional contract, tying him to the Premier League club until the summer of 2027.
A regular with the Under-18s last term, the left-back also featured for Scott Gardner’s Under-21s side in both the Premier League 2 and National League Cup. Bird, aged 18, scored three times in the 2024/25 campaign, including notable strikes from long range against Manchester City's U18s and Blackburn Rovers U18s.
A statement on United's club website read: "Everyone at Leeds United would like to congratulate Coban on signing a first professional contract and we look forward to seeing his future development with the club."
Bird becomes the third academy signing over the weekend, following on from goalkeeper Rory Mahady and versatile forward Josh McDonald. After penning fresh terms, McDonald said: “It feels great. Obviously getting it over the line, I am just excited to keep on going.
“Last year, I got injured early on but I managed to push through, get back fit and then, obviously, we did well to win the National League Cup. I like a challenge, I don’t want it to be easy, so I will just keep pushing and hopefully get there.
“I would say I am a one-on-one player. I want to go out and beat the man. I like playing exciting football and getting the fans up. I am really excited to get back going and I just want to kick on as much as I can.”
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