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Some Leeds United players are on international duty ahead of the World Cup. With the season having ended, players are allowed to be called up by their national teams.
Most players will be in preparation for the World Cup, after most countries named their squads.
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Others will have the chance to prove themselves as coaches of countries who failed to make the tournament go for fresher faces.
Wales called up Leeds youngster Jayden Lienou for the country’s upcoming friendly against Ghana on Tuesday.
Craig Bellamy speaks on promising Leeds United star
The news came as a bit of a surprise, as Lienou had not played a minute of first team action this past season.
However, after watching the defender, Bellamy is convinced that the Leeds United youngster is ready for the future.
“I’ve watched him a little bit with Leeds Under-21s and he’s done very well in the younger setups for Wales, but he’s definitely a player we like,” Bellamy said in the pre-match press conference.
“So if a space sort of creeps up, what are we wasting time for? Let’s get him in. We believe this boy’s got a real great chance. Now, of course, there has to be other progressions to his game to be able to allow him to become a top, top player for Wales, but what we’ve seen already in his development – and that’s from Leeds, not from us – we see a player with real high potential that could have a huge impact in an area that’s going to be really important for us.”
“When I saw the kid, I was like, ‘Wow, this kid’s top’,” he said. “But the reports I had before that gave me an opportunity to get excited about the kid, and when I saw him I was completely impressed. He’s been training with the Leeds first-team as well, so definitely monitoring him.”
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What does next season hold for Jayden Lienou?
Jayden Lienou joined Leeds United in July 2025 from Manchester City.
The defender came in with a reputation, and is highly rated among the youth groups for Wales.
Daniel Farke decided to trust him to be in the matchday squad for the final two games of the season, as he took part in training sessions.
And now, Craig Bellamy has given the youngster some praise after seeing him up close.
Gabriel Gudmundsson does not have a natural left footed backup, so if the club does not dip into the market, the Wales youngster has a chance.
It is interesting to see what Leeds do with the 18-year old next season.