Leeds United selection policy under Daniel Farke criticised by dressing room insider

Daniel Farke has been the subject of a not terribly veiled dig from one of his former Leeds United players.

The German manager has been in charge at Elland Road since 2023 and led Leeds to promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking last season.

Leeds have made a decent enough start to life back in the top flight after a two-year absence and go into Saturday afternoon’s trip to Brighton and Hove Albion sitting 15th in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone.

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Charlie Cresswell: Daniel Farke didn’t give youngsters a chance at Leeds

However, Leeds youth product Charlie Cresswell feels he never really got a chance to strut his stuff for the side, and that clubs in France – like his current employers Toulouse – are much more willing to give opportunities to young players compared to their English equivalents.

That line of argument rather ignores the fact that, for instance, league leaders Arsenal are fielding a 15 year old, or that over the past year 11 players younger than Cresswell have played for England’s senior team, nine of whom play for English clubs.

Charlie Cresswell struggled for minutes at Leeds – but younger players than him did get a chance (Image credit: Getty Images)

Indeed, former Leeds teammate Archie Gray is four years younger than Cresswell but played 52 games for Farke in Cresswell’s final season at Elland Road. Almost like age had nothing to do with it or something?

Nonetheless, Cresswell told French outlet Footballogue: “For young foreign players, I think it’s a great time to come to France and play in Ligue 1. Here, many clubs trust young players.

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“Coaches have no problem playing young players, no problem at all – whereas in England, it’s harder to break into the first team because they really see you as a kid at 18, 19, or 20 years old.

“In France, if they think a player is good enough, he will play. He’ll be given opportunities and full confidence.

Charlie Cresswell helped England to victory at the 2025 U21 Euros (Image credit: Getty Images)

Cresswell refutes the suggestion that maybe, just maybe, he is finding it easier to get minutes in France because the standard is not as high as in the Premier League. He said: “Ligue 1 is not a farmers’ league. In France, there are very good teams, big clubs. Here, it’s battle every match and it’s really very challenging.

“I was talking about it the other day with Tyler Morton. He was telling me how suprised he was at how high quality Ligue 1 is.

“It’s really the opposite of a farmers’ league. You have to only look at the talent that Ligue 1 has produced. The quality of the football played and the players, it’s really top-notch.”

It might say something that Ligue 1 has ‘produced’ those players only to go elsewhere, but hey.

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