With injuries to senior centre-backs Robin Koch and Diego Llorente, Marcelo Bielsa has asked Struijk to step up into the centre-back position, with him having also clocked up minutes in the holding midfield role multiple times so far this season.
Despite being just 21-year-old, the Dutchman has caught the eye of the Leeds faithful with his strong displays on the pitch and has a genuine admirer in ex-Whites star Matteo.
The 46-year-old, who lauded Struijk’s ability to read games and his composure while in possession, feels he is a star in the making.
However, Matteo stressed the Leeds starlet has a lot of room for improvement and backed him to get better with each passing game.
“At the back, Pascal Struijk had another solid game [3-1 win against Leicester City on Sunday] beside Liam Cooper and he’s growing on me massively”, Matteo wrote in his Yorkshire Evening Post column.
“Because I played that position, I look at where Cooper is during games, I look at where Struijk is and positionally he’s good.
“He reads the game a lot better than he’s credited for.
“He’ll get even better too.
“Struijk is one to look out for.
“There’s plenty of work to be done but, with the size of him, his physicality, his passing, he’s got it all and can step into midfield.
“He looks very calm on the ball, players who are a bit erratic are not for me but he looks comfortable in possession.”
Struijk could again start in the heart of defence alongside Liam Cooper tonight when Leeds host Everton in a Premier League clash at Elland Road.
