Snodin proud of Parker comeback

Leeds first team coach Glynn Snodin has praised young defender Ben Parker after he made his comeback from an injury nightmare.

Parker, a product of the club’s academy, suffered his initial setback in the first game of the 2009/10 season and then encountered further problems which saw him go under the knife on several occasions. But he took a massive step to putting his problems behind him when he completed 70 minutes in a reserve friendly against Huddersfield at Thor Arch on Tuesday, having played some part against York on Saturday.

Anyone following the online football odds will have been wondering if he would ever play again.

Snodin expressed his delight at the comeback, although noted that there is still a lot of hard work ahead of the player. “Ben’s still obviously some way off, but we know what Ben can do, the fans know what he can do, and he can be a threat. That’ll be in his mind and hopefully he can play a part at some stage,” he said.

Parker is keen to get back in the first team reckoning, but he will need to get a few more games under his belt before this is possible, Snodin added.

The coach also had high praise for the club’s team of physios who have played a huge part in getting the player back to full fitness.

With Leeds currently occupying the last play-off place in the Championship, Parker will no doubt be keen to ensure he is in a position to help the club achieve its dream of returning to the Premier League.