Leeds United stars single out exciting Welsh teenager as Summerville says 'look out for him'

Senior Leeds United players have lavished praise on Welsh teenager Charlie Crew and they have tipped him as one to watch for the future.

Crew's stock has risen dramatically over the last year to 18 months and he's making waves up at Leeds' Thorp Arch training ground. Indeed, the Wales youth international, 17, has been named on the bench by Daniel Farke during an intense promotion scrap, but is yet to make his senior debut.

And Crew, who was reared at Cardiff City's academy before moving to Yorkshire for a six-figure fee in August 2022, has certainly impressed the senior players in training.

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Top-scorer Crysencio Summerville, who has 20 goals to his name this season, has told fans to "look out" for Crew, who seems certain to break into the first-team fold sooner rather than later.

"We have trained with Charlie Crew," Summerville said when asked about the talented youngsters at the club. "I think he is a really good midfielder. So yeah, people, look out for him! He's a really good player."

Archie Gray, himself still a teenager at just 18 years old, also highlighted Crew, a year his junior, as the cream of the crop when it comes to exciting academy products.

When asked which youngster excited him, Gray replied: "There are loads. Charlie Crew, he has been training with us for a few weeks and he's a really good player.

"My brother (Harry), as well, he's obviously really good. I don't want to give him too much praise, because he's my brother and I shouldn't be doing that! So, I'd go Charlie Crew."

Leeds boss Farke has also made his feelings clear on central midfielder Crew, who has captained Wales at age-grade level. The German named Crew in the squad for the two games against Watford and Hull City earlier this month, after which he said it was no gift, but that the Welsh youngster had earned his shot.

"To be honest, we didn't have any other outfield players available, but it was also not a gift," he told our sister title LeedsLive. "If Charlie hadn't impressed me in the last days in training [he would not have been selected].

“He was one of the players we promoted during this period to help us a bit in terms of numbers in training, but he also showed some quality. If he hadn’t shown this, I would have taken a third goalkeeper just in case something happened.

“It was not a gift, but also a sign he has done really well in recent days. Obviously, it's difficult for a guy who's just 17-years-old to come into such a crucial moment.

“He was also a bit nervous, but good experience for him. I wouldn't have been nervous if I would have had to play him. Obviously, it's not perfect if you have such a situation with many key players in red-hot form, like Willy Gnonto, like Connor Roberts, like Ilia Gruev, [missing].

“It was a horrible outcome of the international break, but, overall, Charlie has done well in training and for that he deserves to be in the squad.”

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Crew was one of the shining talents within Cardiff City's academy, but when the allure of a category one academy and a then-Premier League side in Leeds came calling, the Bluebirds had their hands tied.

He has gone from strength to strength since that move to Elland Road in September 2022, though, with Wales U21s boss Matty Jones lavishing him with praise recently.

“Charlie has been our country's captain in every age group so far, and we certainly feel he has the potential to not just captain the U21s but to be a huge prospect in the senior side," Jones said during the winter.