Leeds United youngsters Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray have emerged as first-team options for German head coach Daniel Farke in the Championship this season.

Gray, 18, has already racked up 33 starts in the division, with the majority of his appearances coming out of position at right-back, after being handed a chance by the boss at the start of the campaign.

There is no guarantee that either of them will go on to have successful careers at Elland Road, though, as the key for them is to now prove that they can be consistent over multiple seasons.

Players have come through the academy in the past and made their first-team debuts, only to fail to prove themselves consistently and, as a result, drop down the league – as was the case with Robbie Gotts.

Robbie Gotts' Leeds career

The versatile ace, who can play all across midfield and in both full-back positions, came through the youth sides at Thorp Arch before Marcelo Bielsa handed him his first-team debut against Arsenal in January 2020.

Gotts endured a baptism of fire as he had to face off against the likes of Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka in central midfield during the FA Cup clash.

Minutes played

60

Pass accuracy

74%

Duels won

1/5

Dribbled past

2x

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

As you can see in the table above, the midfielder struggled throughout the game as he was sloppy in possession, weak in his duels, and did not provide any defensive protection for the back four.

His first-team debut and performances for the academy earned him the Academy Player of the Year award at Leeds for the 2019/20 season, which speaks to the progress he made that term.

However, Gotts only went on to play two more matches for Leeds – totalling 18 minutes across the Championship and League Cup – as the versatile gem seemingly failed to convince the manager that he deserved more opportunities, before being sent out on loan to Lincoln City and Salford during the 2020/21 campaign.

Where Robbie Gotts plays now

After his lower league loan spells, Bielsa and Victor Orta decided to sanction an exit for the now-24-year-old as they allowed him to join Barrow on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.

The former Whites academy graduate has made 116 appearances in all competitions for the club in almost three years to date, with the majority of those games coming in League Two.

This means that Gotts is currently playing in the fourth tier of English football, just over four years after he made his professional debut as a starter in midfield against Premier League giants Arsenal in the FA Cup for Leeds under Bielsa.

The 24-year-old whiz has started 19 of their league matches so far this season, and they are sat in sixth in League Two – in the play-off positions – as it stands.

Gotts may not have made a career for himself at the top level, yet, but he is still playing professional football in England after coming through the Leeds academy.

His story may, however, be a warning for Joseph and Gray as it shows that they have a long way to go before they can claim to have made it at Elland Road.