Bailey Peacock-Farrell eyeing number one spot for Northern Ireland
Bailey Peacock-Farrell is hoping his bright start to the season with Leeds can help him nail down the number one spot for Northern Ireland.
The 21-year-old goalkeeper is aiming to start for Michael O'Neill's side in their UEFA Nations League opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Saturday.
And if he does get the nod, a big part of the reason will be the confidence he is carrying after helping Leeds make an unbeaten start to the season under Marcelo Bielsa.
"To keep the number one spot has been a great achievement so far and we're doing really well as a team - still unbeaten and we're progressing quite well, I think," he said.
Peacock-Farrell was never certain of keeping the gloves to the start the season.
Although he finished the last campaign as Leeds' number one, the arrival of Bielsa in the summer brought uncertainty, and there is added competition after the arrival of Jamal Blackman on loan from Chelsea.
But Peacock-Farrell was able to convince Bielsa he was the right man for the job.
"He's shown that trust, he watched all the games (from last season) and decided to go ahead with me," Peacock-Farrell said. "Obviously I had to prove myself again in pre-season and show him that he made the right choice. That trust is a big deal."
Bielsa has also changed the nature of the role, following the prevailing trend in encouraging his side to play out from the back and use the goalkeeper as another outfielder at times.
Some goalkeepers struggle with the role but Peacock-Farrell - who started out as a winger while in Middlesbrough's academy - has taken it in his stride.
"I've always been very comfortable with my feet, maybe because of my outfield past, but also in joining in with outfield players in training and warm-ups," he said.
"I'm very much involved in pretty much all the training we do. I am very comfortable with how we play and the decision the manager made."
Playing out from the back is not the only change at Leeds under Bielsa, who has emphasised to his players how fortunate they are to do the job they do, and laid on plenty of humbling experiences to drill home the message.
"There were times when we were going around the training ground picking up litter for hours," Peacock-Farrell said.
"He's making us aware of the job we have as role models and what sacrifices fans make to travel to games and support the club.
"Pretty much all of the days in pre-season we were there from 9am til 7pm but I think the positives have shown because we're probably the fittest side in the league right now."
The approach seems to be working with Bielsa's Leeds top of the Championship, level with Middlesbrough, on 14 points from the opening six games, and there is a real belief this is their chance to return to the top flight after a 15-year absence.
"He is a world-renowned coach, and for Leeds to get a manager of that calibre is a massive statement to the rest of the league and the fans," Peacock-Farrell said.
"To have the opportunity to work with a manager with the experience he has can only benefit you."
The next reward could come at Windsor Park on Saturday, with Peacock-Farrell looking to dislodge Michael McGovern from Northern Ireland's number one spot.
Whether that comes now or later, Peacock-Farrell is certain he is improving.
"Playing games regularly provides confidence, but it's the experience of having another game and another game, and you're learning on the job," he said.
"If you're playing more games then you're learning faster and you're learning a lot more. To be doing that regularly, I feel that I am a better player now than I was last season. Hopefully I can maintain that."
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