Talented Royal has world at his feet

SHORTLY before Reading visited Leeds in February, Mark Bowen made the bold claim that his midfielder John Swift possessed more talent than any player currently at Elland Road.

- Chris Dunlavy

“They might have a midfielder who runs harder and faster than John but they won’t have anyone with his ability,” said the Royals boss.

Pablo Hernandez, the Whites’ gifted playmaker, may politely disagree. Bowen’s sentiments, however, were somewhat vindicated by Marcelo Bielsa, who admitted after Leeds’ 1-0 victory that he had worried Mateusz Klich would struggle to shackle Reading’s dangerman.

“Swift is a great player,” said the Argentine, who was widely linked with a £7m bid for the former Chelsea trainee last summer.

“I value him a lot. He is a player who can appear suddenly in attack and is very good in transition. He is dangerous, especially when he passes from the defence to the attack. I was not sure if Klich could defend against him.”

In fact, the Pole did a fine job, attacking so relentlessly that Swift failed to create a single chance and touched the ball just once in the opposition box.

Such stats, though, are an anomaly for a player now proving himself to be one of the most productive players in the Championship.