Leeds will undoubtedly call up the 19-year-old in January after the manager was changed, but the situation did not improve.

Throughout the summer transfer window, Leeds United loaned out eleven players.

Some of them were young players in need of consistent playing time, but the majority were members of the first team from the previous season who were searching for a way out following their relegation.

Sonny Perkins was among those who managed to land a loan move to promotion-chasing Oxford United in pursuit of senior football for the first time in his career.

But it’s fair to say that not a single thing has gone according to plan. At Oxford, Perkins has only played five minutes of League One football, three of which were in September.

Although it was evident that his former manager Liam Manning did not think highly of him, there was hope that he could improve after moving to Bristol City and scoring a goal against Chelsea U21s in the EFL Trophy.

Perkins wasting development at Oxford

Following Manning, Oxford made a rather unconventional choice for their next manager when they appointed 38-year-old Des Buckingham, who has overseen three games across all competitions.

In his first game as manager, a 2-0 loss at Cheltenham Town, Buckingham did in fact give Perkins his first two minutes of league football since September. Since then, however, he has not been seen.

Perkins was even left out of the squad for Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Grimsby Town, which you’d think would have been an opportunity for him to stake a claim.

But it is now clear that Perkins will not get the football he requires at Oxford, so Leeds must recall him in January and send him to another club, even if it is at a lower level.

Perkins has always looked talented in his first team appearances for Leeds, and it’s a shame that he’s wasting it right now.