Western United talent Dylan Leonard and Brisbane Roar’s rising star Lucas Herrington have made the list of the top 10 Under-21 centre-backs for ball recoveries per 90 minutes in the 20 non-European top leagues.
Leonard (20.4) is positioned second in the CIES Football Observatory rankings amongst central defenders who have logged at least 630 minutes in domestic competitions.
The highly regarded 17-year-old Isuzu UTE A-League academy product trails only Penarol’s Juan Rodriguez (24.8) after a remarkable debut season that saw him play 28 matches.
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Leonard has shattered several records, emerging as the club’s youngest debutant and scorer, aiding John Aloisi’s Western United in securing third place before advancing to the 2024-25 Semi-Finals.
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The Australian youth international is ahead of 20-year-old Japanese prodigy Kota Takai (19.6), who is reportedly on the verge of joining UEFA Europa League champions Tottenham from J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale.
Herrington, another graduate from the A-Leagues academy, ranks sixth on the list, achieving 17.8 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.
The 17-year-old made a strong impact during his first season as transfer speculations swirl over his potential move abroad.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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