"I don't see him staying" - Leeds United prediction made with versatile star | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton is looking likely to the club at the end of the season, when his contract expires.

The 24-year-old came through the club's academy system and made it to the first team in 2018. Making the jump up to this level hasn't been easy for him. He's struggled to cement himself as a regular starter at the club, and, in the 2022/23 campaign, he was sent out to Millwall on a season-long loan.

Leeds were relegated to the Championship at the end of that campaign, and an opportunity for Shackleton to try and rubber stamp his place in Daniel Farke's side seemed to emerge. But his game time has been heavily restricted this season. He has played in nine of the club's 34 league games so far this season - seven of those appearances were starts.

Footballers want to play, and this frustrating amount of minutes may mean that he leaves the club for good when his deal expires at the end of June. The amount that Farke has used him could also be a good indication of the likelihood of a new deal being offered to him by the club.

Football League World'sLeeds United fan pundit has given his verdict on whether he sees Shackleton staying with the club past the end of this season.

Leeds fan's Jamie Shackleton contract verdict

FLW's Leeds fan pundit, Kris Smith, has said that he doesn't see the 24-year-old being offered a new deal by the Whites.

"I was pleasantly surprised by Shackleton at the start of the season when he was playing so much," said Smith. " I think he fared pretty well, to be honest. Having said that, from September onwards, when the transfer window settled down, our squad has been much closer to what Farke envisaged for how we want to set up. Since that time, Shackleton hasn't featured much.

"He has done us a huge favour by fighting for his place after coming back from Millwall, and filling in where he's been asked to. Whether it was at full-back, central midfield, or even on the wing. But I don't see him staying with Leeds long-term, and that's probably best for him as well."

"A solid stint with us, proving that he can fight for his place in a promotion-chasing team should be seen as a shop window opportunity for him, and the teams that are looking at him. As a free transfer in the summer, he would add a lot of versatility to any team that is trying to build towards the play-offs."

Shackleton would be a valuable tool at most Championship clubs

As Smith mentioned, Shackleton's ability to play across many areas of the pitch makes him a very handy asset for managers. He's a Swiss army knife player who can adapt and be used in different situations.

That should be a strong appeal to the clubs out there that will be looking to bolster their squads for the 2024/25 season, but that reputation can often lead to undervaluing of players.

When Shackleton was at Millwall, more than half of his league appearances were as a substitute. These do it all players aren't necessarily viewed as the ones to have in your starting line-up nowadays. Managers want specialists, and the likes of Shackleton are often seen as bench options.

Now, that's not to say that clubs will turn their noses up at him for that; he's played that role well for a near play-off side in Millwall, and one of the best teams in the league, with Leeds. But what it may mean is that Shackleton could have to look a bit further down the table for regular minutes.

Either way, if he or the club decide that the current fit isn't right, then he shouldn't find it hard to secure a spot at another Championship club.