Leeds United’s talented youngster Alex Mowatt scored not one, but TWO absolutely stunning strikes in the space of a week for the Whites. The 20 year old scored a screamer against Cardiff City on November 3, and followed it up with another cracking in the West Yorkshire Derby against Huddersfield a few days later.
Alex Mowatt goal v Cardiff, Source Streamable/YT
Leeds had gone 11 games without success in front of their own supporters heading into this meeting with the Bluebirds on November 3. Inspiration was required from somewhere and their 20-year-old home-grown starlet proved to be the hero of the hour – quite literally – with a 63rd-minute effort arrowing into the top corner, leaving David Marshall sunk to his knees.
Mowatt goal v Huddersfield
Mowatt goal at 7:34 in the video below
It’s not all been smooth sailing for Mowatt though in the 2015/16 season though.
The 2014/15 campaign was something of a breakthrough year for him. He had graduated into the senior set-up the season before, but this one delivered 38 appearances and nine goals – a more than useful return from midfield. Given the freedom to express himself under the guidance of former academy coach Neil Redfearn, a man who knew him well from his days as part of the youth team set-up, Mowatt was held up as being the ‘next big thing’ to emerge from the Elland Road ranks.
The youngster was also to make his debut for England’s U20 side, against the USA in March 2015, and also landed numerous personal accolades – including Fans’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year at Leeds’s end of season awards ceremony.
As is often the case with players of such obvious potential, it did not take long for the transfer speculation to start. Liverpool were among those reported to be keeping a close eye on his development, with summer gossip suggesting that a formal approach from Anfield could be in the offing.
In the end, nothing materialised and Mowatt started the 2015/16 campaign where he had finished the last – at Elland Road.
However life under Uwe Rosler wasn’t easy for Mowatt, and he struggled to reproduce the heights that he did last season. Rosler adopted a 4-3-3 that Mowatt, who excelled as a deep-lying playmaker in 14/15, struggled to adapt to.
Life is however rarely dull at Leeds and, with the club already onto their second manager of the season (Rosler was shown the door last month)and with president Massimo Cellino looking to sell up and move out, the wild swings between the sublime and the ridiculous off the field have often transferred to proceedings on it.
A club that has proved notoriously difficult for even Championship betting experts and punters to predict, the Whites have fluctuated wildly between looking like world-beaters (Derby County away- the Rams, at the beginning of the season, were many people’s favourites for promotion) and potential relegation fodder (Blackburn Rovers at home).
Leeds are currently 15th in the table, but four of their players, Mowatt included (the others are Mirco Antenucci, Chris Wood and Charlie Taylor) have already won Goal of the Day this season at SSNHQ. There is certainly talent there, and the Whites have some of the most passionate fans in the country- they should certainly be aiming higher that settling for finishes in the bottom half of the Championship
They have, however, started to offer some signs of stability and promise of late, with Mowatt very much at the heart of those efforts.
His 30-yard thunderbolt against Huddersfield wrapped up the win and return the feel-good factor to a club in danger of forgetting what such emotions felt like. Older fans would do well to remember that Leeds, as recently as 2000/01, were Champions League semifinalists.
Mowatt, in would appear, has rediscovered his mojo, has found a way of influencing proceedings while operating outside of a central midfield two and may well be heading down another productive path which delivers goals, plaudits, prizes and admiring glances from afar.
As one online fan on social media put it, it looks like the youngster is attempting to have a “Goal of the season” competition with himself!