By support

6th Jan, 2017 | 2:31pm

Monk must start this Leeds 21-year-old against Cambridge

COMMENT By Emma Sanders

Garry Monk must hand a start to Tyler Denton for Monday evening’s FA Cup third round tie against Cambridge.

The Leeds 21-year-old made his debut in the EFL Cup victory against Luton earlier this season and he made a huge impression with his performance.

Denton scored the only goal of the game, kept a clean sheet and was on the winning side during his first appearance for the club in a 1-0 win.

The young full-back impressed hugely and showed maturity in the left-back role as his side swept aside Luton and he should be given another opportunity to shine in the clash with Cambridge.

Denton is expected to become one of the club’s biggest stars of the future but transfer speculation regarding Charlie Taylor should urge Monk to test the youngster sooner rather than later.

If Taylor is close to an exit away from Elland Road, it will be a great opportunity to test Denton in the first team and judge whether he has the potential to offer short-term cover or whether he’s just a long-term replacement.

The fans would no-doubt love a big cup run to add the cherry on the top of what’s been a fantastic season.

But even they would admit that promotions is the be all and end all, and they would sacrifice their name in the draw for a real shot at the Premier League through the play-offs.

If that means experimentation to give new players a try and rest experienced heads, that’s what Monk should do and Denton seems ripe for a call-up.

They’ve got a relatively easy tie anyway but the occasion is big and the atmosphere will be fantastic. It’s the perfect opportunity to see what Denton is made of.

In other Leeds news, fans should not fear the loss of Taylor.