Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan believes that Reds-linked defender Ben White is good enough to play for Liverpool.
Football Insider reported recently that Jurgen Klopp’s side are interested in the centre back, who is at Elland Road on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. BBC pundit Whelan believes he’d be a big success at Anfield.
“I’m not surprised big clubs are looking at Ben White,” he told Football Insider. “From what I’ve seen we were very lucky to get him in. Credit to the scouts. We were looking at him for two years before he signed.
“He is perfect for Premier League football. He ticks every single box for the modern centre-back. He’s destined for a top-four club, he’s that good. He makes good decisions defensively, he is quick, very capable on the ball. He fits the Liverpool style perfectly as he can play from the back and bring the ball out.”
OPINION
This is about as ringing an endorsement as a player could possibly receive. We know that Whelan, a former Whites star, is clued in on everything going on in Yorkshire, so his assessment of White is definitely worth listening to. The 22-year-old has really taken the Championship by storm this term, becoming a key player for Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa, and seemingly improving shedloads under the charismatic Argentine. The statistics show that White has been a behemoth at the back for the Whites this campaign. As per WhoScored.com, the youngster is averaging 2.4 tackles, 3.3 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game. Furthermore, he is only being dribbled past 0.2 times per outing on average. His average WhoScored rating per game of 7.33 tells you everything you need to know about his form this term. His interception tally is what’s really interesting, though. The fact that he’s mastered that skill suggests he has the vision to make the step up to the Premier League, although whether Liverpool is too much of a leap remains to be seen. Whelan certainly doesn’t think so, though.
