Charlie Cresswell insists he is ready to embrace the ‘pressure’ of wearing the number five shirt for Leeds United and has urged his team-mates to be ‘brave’ in their promotion bid. The academy graduate spent last season on loan with Millwall, but is bidding to establish himself as a key player in the upcoming campaign after he signed a new contract at Elland Road.
Cresswell played his part in title-winning seasons at both under-18 and under-21 level, and has also represented England at under-21 level. The 20-year-old made 30 appearances with Millwall last term and netted five goals, but missed the end of the campaign with a fractured eye socket as Gary Rowett’s side narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.
The promising centre-back has committed his future to Leeds until 2027, and is not fazed by the prospect of donning the number five shirt. Cresswell told the Official Leeds United Podcast: “I love the pressure, and I love being able to wear that number on the back of my shirt. It’s something I’ve wanted ever since I was a young boy, and I’m just buzzing that I’m going to be playing in that this season.”
Leeds are considered among the bookmakers’ favourites to earn promotion this season, alongside fellow relegated sides Leicester City and Southampton. Opponents could raise their game to claim a scalp at Elland Road, but Cresswell insists this prospect should lead to Daniel Farke’s side to ‘choose bravery and courage’ in their bid to earn a swift return to the Premier League.
He added: “I think with playing for Leeds United, it brings a lot of expectation and a lot of pressure. But I think if you really want to play and succeed for the club, you can’t hide from that.
“I think you have to bring it to the forefront and sit with it, and that will allow you to progress and succeed as you want. If you hide it and push it to one side, it can come back and bite you in the bum.
“Not just me, but the team this season really need to be brave and understand there is going to be expectation. We need to choose bravery and courage to achieve what we want.
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