Rotherham game offers Leeds United fans an exciting glimpse of the future - but no guarantees

But transferring that talent to senior level is easier said than done. Only last week Gareth Southgate met sports minister Lucy Frazer to discuss the lack of Premier League minutes for English players.

That is the challenge facing Leeds United teenagers Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins, who look sure of their places in the England Under-19 team to face Iceland in Rotherham on Saturday.

Any talent-spotters at the New York Stadium for the 2pm kick-off should not struggle to find it.

Striker Perkins scored five goals in three qualifiers, taking the Young Lions through to the elite round in their bid to reach July’s European Championship. Perkins’ first senior goal kept Leeds in this season's FA Cup at Cardiff City.

Midfielder Gyabi has taken on the England captaincy after an injury to Leicester City's Sammy Braybrooke.

Neither is an authentic home-grown talent. Leeds are making a skill of hoovering up teenagers from other academies and Perkins joined from West Ham United in the summer, whilst Gyabo was effectively the makeweight in Kalvin Phillips' move to Manchester City.

Earlier this season, Leeds Under-21 coach Michael Skubala called Perkins "a goal machine" and Jesse Marsch spoke of how he wanted to "push his development" but so far his only first-team football has been in the cups.

Gyabi has seven Premier League minutes to his name, ironically against his old club.

It shows how hard – even in these days of five substitutes from nine – it is to break into top-flight teams, especially ones battling relegation.

The next decision for both is whether they are better going on loan next season – like Leicester City's Under-21 international Ben Nelson has done, joining Doncaster Rovers – or staying within the camp.

Gyabi believes he is learning a lot at Thorp Arch just now.

"I feel like when you're around first-team players for so long they don't have to tell you things but if you watch what they're doing, you pick up the little things, not just on the pitch but gym work, how they speak, how they get around, how they're moving, how they're interacting with other young players," he said recently.

"There's always a platform to learn and improve because they've done it for so long and you only want to learn."

Something else they must do is learn to win.

A 1-0 victory over Hungary on Wednesday, where Nelson made an important goalline clearance, has put the reigning champions top of the elite group after Iceland and Turkey – Tuesday's visitors to Chesterfield – shared the points in their opening game.

Topping the group at the end of next week will send them to Malta as one of eight teams vying to be European champions.

For Leeds supporters, a Saturday afternoon in Rotherham could offer an exciting glimpse of things to come but it certainly comes with no guarantees.