Leeds United boss Daniel Farke loves a hostile football ground
Charlie Crew's progress at Doncaster Rovers remains a key point of focus for Leeds United.
Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann has assured Leeds United he expects Charlie Crew to kick on after this month’s international break.
Crew played a vital role in Doncaster’s League Two title triumph last season after joining in January, making 11 starts and a further two substitute appearances. The midfielder returned to South Yorkshire for a season-long loan in August and was hoping to make the step up to League One football in familiar surroundings.
This season has been a bit more difficult for the 19-year-old, however, with just three league starts due to an interrupted domestic campaign. Crew has been called up for Wales duty in each of this season’s three international windows, joining the first-team squad in September before Under-21 stints in October and the current break.
With Doncaster in League One, their domestic fixtures are not postponed unless three or more players are away on international duty, meaning Crew is regularly having to miss out. But McCann experienced a similar situation last season and expects a clearer club schedule to get the best out of Leeds’ loan star.
"I think it'll be comparable to what you saw with PK [Northern Ireland Under-21 international Patrick Kelly, signed on loan from West Ham] last year," McCann told the Yorkshire Post. "Charlie came in January last season, this season he's come in at the start of the season.
"We've had conversations with Leeds and I've had conversations with Charlie and his agents to say when the November international break passes I think we'll start to see a more polished Charlie Crew. I'm not saying he's not [polished].
“He's training very well, he's a great kid, good attitude, wants to do well, tremendous footballer, but once it settles and this international break finishes, the next camp isn't until March. So I think we'll see a more all-round Charlie Crew, a bit like we saw with PK last year."
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A clearer schedule for the Leeds United loanee after this weekend
Crew will have a free run at cementing himself in the Doncaster side after Wales Under-21s face Belarus on Friday afternoon, with the midfielder to miss his club’s weekend trip to Lincoln. He will be back in time to face Stevenage next weekend, however, and can prepare for a busy festive schedule.
With no further international commitments until March, Crew will have the chance to further develop and Leeds will have a keen eye on how he gets on under McCann. The Welsh international remains one of Thorp Arch’s most highly-regarded prospects after winning the favour of Daniel Farke in recent years.
The midfielder made a couple of matchday squads around the 2024 Easter weekend and earned a first-team debut during Leeds’ 2024/25 title-winning campaign as a late substitute against Plymouth Argyle in November. He was also involved with the senior set up over summer alongside fellow youngsters such as Sam Chambers and Harry Gray, both of whom remained with the Under-21s for the current campaign.
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