da spicy bet： [ad_pod ]
da wazamba： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.
Laurens De Bock has had to wait an incredibly long time for a taste of English football again.
The last time the Belgian played in a competitive match in this country was on 10th March 2018 before being sent out on loan to KV Oostende last term.
De Bock is somewhat of an enigma, being poached from Club Brugge as someone who had played European football, he’s now languishing down in League One at Sunderland.
The 26-year-old was rarely afforded a chance at Elland Road and has played just seven times for the Whites.
His career in England has never taken off but he’s been given a chance of rejuvenating himself in the northeast.
He finally made his debut for the Black Cats on Wednesday evening as he overcame a period where he hadn’t even been included in the squad.
Starting against Premier League opposition Sheffield United, he put in a largely indifferent display in what was his first appearance of the term.
De Bock started the game at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation and had Kieron Freeman and Callum Robinson to contend with down the left.
He played all 90 minutes and displayed strong defensive characteristics as he made two interceptions and two tackles, via SofaScore.
But there was also some concerning aspects to his play, attributes that might be understandable considering he hasn’t played at all until now in 2019/20.
That fell in terms of the ten times he lost possession while his pass accuracy was also alarming at 69%.
Given Leeds have a variety of options at left-back, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to force himself back into contention.
He hasn’t played under Marcelo Bielsa and he already has Gjanni Alioski and Barry Douglas at his disposal in the same part of the pitch.
Leif Davis is another option but a potential new signing in Sam McCallum, who Leeds are reportedly tracking, could be the final nail in the coffin for De Bock.
There is, of course, a long way to go in the season but his inability to retain possession shows why he isn’t up to the standard at Leeds.
He must do more at Sunderland to prove he deserves a second chance in west Yorkshire.