Football League World
·16 March 2021
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·16 March 2021
Salford City were in the Wembley spotlight over the weekend, beating Portsmouth in the Papa John’s Trophy to lift silverware.
One man that missed out on a place in the squad on Saturday was cup-tied Robbie Gotts, the Leeds United loanee who has been a big part of Ritchie Wellens’ squad since arriving in the January transfer window.
After inconsistent use at Lincoln City earlier in the season, Gotts was almost an instant hit upon his arrival at Salford. Since signing, he’s scored twice and registered an assist in 11 appearances, excelling in an advanced position.
A key question that will be asked of the midfielder moving out of this season is what’s next for him? Is another loan likely or will Leeds take the plunge by reintegrating Gotts into Marcelo Bielsa’s squad once more?
The latter scenario feels unlikely given Gotts only has three appearances under Bielsa in his Leeds career so far. There’s also the fact that a loan spell away from Elland Road has led the midfielder to League Two and not quite the forefront of the radar of a progressive Premier League club.
You also have to consider Gotts’ contract situation at Elland Road. By the time the midfielder returns to West Yorkshire, he will have only 12 months on his deal with the Yorkshire side.
There’s a chance the 21-year-old will win an extension on that deal, but there’s very little denying that he’s now in a position where there are big decisions to be made.
Already in his career, Gotts has shown he’s not afraid of making big decisions. A recent interview with Phil Hay in The Athletic revealed that the midfielder pushed to step down a division to get more games at Salford; one step back to, hopefully, take two forwards.
Gotts will be fully focused on helping Salford push for play-off football in League Two and use Wembley success as a springboard for the club. However, just around the corner is an important decision in the midfielder’s career with Leeds.