Erwin aims to prove himself

LEE Erwin scores against Walsall

LEE Erwin has had a "nearly" season - but there is still time to tip it the way of success on a personal and team level.

The on-loan Leeds striker has scored special goals - none more so than the lovely drive in added time at Northampton that presented three points to John Sheridan's crew.

It was the 22-year-old's fifth of a campaign that started with high promise, but which has lately been disrupted by injury and illness.

Official statistics also show that Erwin has struck the woodwork three times: with a header against Walsall which crashed against a post; a shot at Bury that cannoned back off the far upright, and a powerful effort at Coventry which smashed against the crossbar.

It isn't difficult to imagine that had he been fully fit and enjoyed a touch more luck, the former Motherwell starlet would be sitting on double figures for the campaign and be a regular in the starting 11.

As it is, he still has plenty to prove to boss John Sheridan, whose commitment to improving his players extends to rounding on errors, such as the one Erwin made when losing possession cheaply late in the game at Northampton.

In the final 11 games of his season-long loan, starting at Walsall tomorrow, Erwin plans to make up for lost time.

"I was out for several weeks through injury and though I came back to play the first couple of games under the new gaffer, after that I was ill for a few weeks," said Erwin, a £300,000 signing for Leeds in June 2015, who played 11 times in the Championship last season.

"I have started to come back into it now and hopefully I can get more minutes on the pitch. I'm hoping now to start a few games and kick on.

"This is my first proper season in a first team.

"Last year I was in and out of squads and didn't know what was happening.

"I want to make a bit of a name for myself now.

"It's been my first time living away from home too. It's a case of getting used to it all."

Erwin's effort at Sixfields won't have done him any harm in terms of the pecking order among strikers at SportsDirect.com Park.

Fellow forward Tope Obadeyi was also on the scoresheet, but as far as Sheridan is concerned he isn't too bothered over the positional identity of his scorers.

He said: "Neither Tope nor Lee have played too much football.

"It will do them the world of good now and will give them confidence.

"We are going to need people to score us goals, whoever is in the side."

Sheridan was also keen to highlight the work done by players which don't always attract widespread praise, following a run of four wins, two draws and only one defeat in February.

"Some players go un-noticed in the team and Paul Green is one, believe me," Sheridan said. "He does a lot of good things.

"He won't nutmeg someone and bend one in the top corner, but he knows what his game is about and I've been well chuffed with him."