Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has confirmed that the club will take a cautious approach with new signing Leonard Ngenge, easing him into action rather than rushing his debut, SportPremi reports.
As we reported earlier, the English Premier League club completed a move for the Nigerian defender on a contract until the end of the 2026-27 season and will initially join the club’s academy setup.
The 18-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise in his career and only joined Nigerian Premier Football League champions Remo Stars six months ago, before making the jump abroad.
Ngenge represented the Super Eagles B-team at the 2025 African Nations Championships, where he played twice as they suffered a disappointing group stage exit.
He could make his debut for the U-21 side on Sunday when they face Liverpool U-21 team, although it is not yet known when he would make his senior debut.
Farke speaks on Ngenge’s arrival ahead of Everton clash
Leeds United visit the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night to face Everton as they hope to continue their impressive form.
Ngenge will not feature in that match, but manager Daniel Farke has opened the door for a future debut for the defender in the coming months.
“Everyone who signs a contract for us, for Leeds United, also has the chance to be involved. That is up to the performances on the youth level and to impress in the games there, to impress in the training”, Farke said in his prematch press conference.
“And if you get the chance to get involved in the team training, then you have got a chance, but this is also a signing for our Under-21s.
“So, there is no intention that we are greedy to involve him as soon as possible; it is more like a natural progression. He[Ngenge] will be with our youth, we will give him time to adapt, and it is not the plan to rush anything with him”, the Leeds United manager concluded.
