Leeds United teen can be ‘huge prospect’ for country says coach as international transfer rumour confirmed

Seventeen-year-old Crew is capped at Under-21 level for Wales and skippered the country’s Under-17s to a first European Championships this summer, but has been targeted by England, in a bid to lure the defensive midfielder into switching his allegiance to the Three Lions, according to Wales U21s boss Matty Jones.

“I can confirm they are not rumours,” Jones told Y Clwb Pel-Droed. “England are being very aggressive at the moment in their recruitment of players, and we have to admire that, because they’re looking to us to recruit players, and that’s a huge compliment.”

Crew has featured prominently for Leeds’ Under-21 group this season, wearing the captain’s armband in the recent Premier League International Cup visit of OGC Nice.

“With Charlie, we are very reassured that we have done absolutely everything in our control, to make sure we’ve provided him the right platform to excel,” Jones added. “I’m fully confident that he’ll stay with Wales, we’ve had good meetings with him and his parents, who wanted to make an informed decision based on all the evidence they’ve been given, and you have to honour that and accept it.

“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.”

The teenager joined Leeds from Cardiff City in the summer of 2022 and has this season graduated from United’s Under-18 squad to the U21s setup under Michael Skubala where he has been entrusted with a starting role.

Crew made his Welsh U21 debut in a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein last month and was a late substitute as the country defeated Lithuania four days later.

Leeds’ Under-21s are next in action this evening as Luton Town’s youngsters visit the LNER Community Stadium in the Premier League Cup.