Struijk has made two top flight appearances for Leeds this season, with boss Marcelo Bielsa having shown his willingness to trust the young Dutchman.
The Dutch defender was initially named on the bench by Bielsa on Monday, but after skipper Liam Cooper was forced to withdraw from the warm-up, Struijk stepped in and partnered Robin Koch in central defence in the Whites’ 1-0 loss to Wolves.
Despite failing to keep a clean sheet against the Midlands outfit, Matteo is confident that the young centre-back has the quality to develop into a top player under the Argentine’s watchful eye.
The 46-year-old sees great potential in Struijk and believes the 21-year-old’s talent will shine through as he starts to garner more experience on the pitch as the season progresses.
Matteo wrote in his Yorkshire Evening Post column: “I actually think Pascal has done okay; he has maybe just been a little naive at times with his defending.
“Looking at the goal [against Wolves], yes he slipped and maybe picked up a knock at that moment, but he got back into a good position and he’s very eager to go and win that ball.
“Sometimes when you’re a young player you’re drawn into that and you need to be aware of who is around you, see who is near and in support and decide if you really need to go in and challenge.
“He’s still a little raw but there’s most definitely improvement to come.”
With Cooper and club new boy Diego Llorente still sidelined with injury, Struijk could start again for Leeds in their next Premier League game away at Aston Villa on Friday.
