Leeds United have had a difficult start to the new Championship season, yet their disappointing results appear to be the product of the turbulent summer that Daniel Farke was forced to oversee.

With several of their previous season’s stars leaving, the German manager was forced to fill important positions while also dealing with the loss of 15 senior players, many of whom moved on loan and thus received no compensation.

Leeds United have had a difficult start to the new Championship season, yet their disappointing results appear to be the product of the turbulent summer that Daniel Farke was forced to oversee.

With several of their previous season’s stars leaving, the German manager was forced to fill important positions while also dealing with the loss of 15 senior players, many of whom moved on loan and thus received no compensation.

With only one league win in five games, it seemed that the international break arrived at the best time for them to realign themselves and refocus on the task at hand. After all, fans will be quietly confident that the team has the talent to compete for a promotion this season.

Many of their summer additions have proven to be quick successes, with Ethan Ampadu, Joel Piroe, and Joe Rodon boosting key areas, while Glen Kamara and Djed Spence are primed to make an immediate impact.

However, it might be argued that the basis for a prospective Premier League comeback was already in place with the players they kept, as not every star sought to go at the first opportunity.

Many of their experienced players remain, and the young that is developing at Thorp Arch is outstanding. In fact, one of these academy graduates, Jamie Shackleton, has the potential to make or break this campaign.

How good is Jamie Shackleton?

While some may look to Joe Gelhardt to solve their attacking problems, or Charlie Cresswell to start after a superb loan spell with Millwall, another name has quietly begun to stake his place as a quietly brilliant member of the club.

Shackleton, who spent the previous year as a centre-back in east London, appears to have returned this summer with a serious point to prove.

The 23-year-old wasn’t spectacular for the Lions, but since Farke gave him an opportunity to shine, he hasn’t looked back.

Despite his penchant for midfield, the majority of his outings have come as part of the backline, deputising at both right and left-back across his six appearances in all competitions. But it’s not a new job for Shackleton, who has also played full-back for Marcelo Bielsa.

His experience in a role that is significantly more creative than right or left-back has helped him bring a unique profile to the role, with his attacking energy from deep particularly shining in the Championship.

With a 6.95 average rating, his best performance thus far came in their most recent 0-0 stalemate with Sheffield Wednesday, where he was genuinely at his creative best despite his team’s failure to score. He was accurate with 65 of his 73 attempted passes, weaving three vital passes into this economical performance, while also contributing two tackles and one clearing, according to Sofascore.

Such defensive brilliance will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Joao Cancelo, who perhaps redefined what it meant to be a full-back under Pep Guardiola.

During the 2021/22 season, the Portugal international had a 7.33 average rating in the Premier League, boosted by his eight goal contributions, 85% pass accuracy, 1.1 critical passes, and 2.3 tackles per game, according to Sofascore.

All stats via Sofascore

Former Manchester City star Nigel de Jong has even noted: “We can have a healthy discussion and debate on who is the best right-back in the world and Cancelo is certainly up there for me. It’s not only his versatility but also the fact he is as strong defensively as any right-back or left-back in the world”.

Although his abilities are far from those of a young Shackleton, the hope is that he may continue his development in a new capacity, with the ambitious goal of one day surpassing the levels achieved by the on-loan Barcelona star.

What was Jamie Shackleton’s net worth five years ago?

Shackleton, who made his debut as an 18-year-old under Bielsa, has progressed steadily but unspectacularly since that Championship clash in 2018.

Unsurprisingly, considering the midfielder’s relative obscurity, Transfermarkt couldn’t justify awarding him a high market worth, no matter how highly rated he was around Elland Road.

“Jamie has a maturity that does not correspond to his age,” the Argentinian strategist observed at the time. He plays like a veteran, while being only 19 years old. He can strike unexpectedly, defend effectively, and move with explosive motions. He may surprise his opponent with these maneuvers, and he looks for space at the perfect time.”

However, to the rest of the globe, this meant little, and thus a meager €100,000 (£86,500) figure was placed beside him.

What is Jamie Shackleton’s current market value?
His lowly roots make his rise all the more remarkable, and his strong start to the season is sure to boost his value even further.

The fact that it has already surpassed €2 million (£1.7 million) represents a significant increase, with a 1,876% increase over a five-year period.

Seeing as that came across 85 stuttered senior appearances, earned over numerous years, a solid run in the side now could help him take his career to new heights, adding even more millions onto his already increasing valuation.

Why is Shackleton worth that much?

Shackleton’s loan spell with Millwall will have done his transfer value wonders, as it finally allowed him to hold down a consistent starting spot, even if it meant dropping down into the Championship.

Had he engineered their promotion too, which they came close to achieving as they narrowly missed out on the final playoff spot, it is certain that he would be worth even more.

The kid made 37 appearances for The Den, with manager Gary Rowett praising his efforts after filling in for Billy Mitchell: “The biggest compliment I can pay Shacks, and it is no disrespect to Billy, is that we didn’t miss Billy.” I assumed we would because he has been such an important player for us. It’s a tremendous loss, because Shacks was simply brilliant alongside Sav, who was also very good.”

If the £1.5k-per-week ace maintains his current level of play, he may very well be Farke’s answer to Cancelo, leading most of their creativity from deep and helping orchestrate a quick return to the top flight.