Leeds United youngster Jack Clarke was treated by paramedics on the bench during their Championship game at Middlesbrough.

The game was paused while medics provided emergency assistance, resulting in 12 minutes of added time being played after the lengthy delay.

Clarke, 18, was taken to hospital after the worrying scenes at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, where he was treated for seven minutes on the sidelines.

Leeds United player Jack Clarke was treated by paramedics in their game at Middlesbrough

The game was halted while medics provided emergency assistance on the bench

He had started the game, which kicked off at 1pm, but was substituted at half time and was sat on the bench with his team mates when the incident occurred. 

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa confirmed after the match that it was the teenager who ‘didn’t feel well’, and has been taken to hospital.

He said: ‘What we know is that he didn’t feel well. We don’t know the reasons yet, but when he was taken to the dressing room he was better. He was taken to hospital to see if he is alright.’

Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis said: ‘The important thing is that fingers crossed, the boy is okay and he recovers because he’s a very talented young player. All our thoughts go to the lad Clarke.’

Clarke had started the game, which kicked off at 1pm, but was substituted at half time

Bielsa also went on to confirm that Clarke had been taken off for tactical reasons, rather than because of any illness or injury.

Clarke was heavily linked with a move away from Leeds in January, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham all among clubs keeping tabs on the teenager, valued at around £12million.

Leeds rescued a 1-1 draw away to their promotion rivals after Kalvin Phillips scored a 101st-minute equaliser.

Boro had taken the lead through Lewis Wing two minutes after half time, however Leeds broke though at the depth to boost their automatic promotion hopes. 

Leeds aren’t falling apart after all. The obituaries to their wavering promotion hopes were being penned when, in the 101st minute of a breathless encounter, Kalvin Phillips headed an equaliser which may prove to a crucial turning point of their campaign.

Other than at Lazio, where his reign lasted two days, teams managed by Marcelo Bielsa have a record of consistently under-performing in the second half of a season. 

That pattern looked set to continue as a fifth defeat in seven games beckoned until Phillips diverted home Liam Cooper’s knockback from an Ezgjan Alioski corner to end Middlesbrough’s increasingly desperate attempts to protect their lead.

Kalvin Phillips popped up after 100 minutes of play to crash home a crucial header for Leeds

A medical emergency on the Leeds bench required medics and caused lengthy late stoppage

A relentless front-foot approach to both training and matches has clearly taken a physical toll on a squad not over-blessed with strength in depth, but to their immense credit Leeds displayed their mental strength to earn a deserved share of the spoils to return to the summit of the division, at least until Norwich host Ipswich tomorrow.

Middlesbrough have hardly been blazing a trail in the form stakes either, but they make up for in dogged determination what they lack when it comes to aesthetically-pleasing football to remain very much in the thick of the promotion race despite only two wins in their last 11 league games at the Riverside.

Lewis Wing’s fourth goal of the season at the outset of the second half put them in the ascendancy, and they climbed to fourth, but a failure to turn their first-half dominance into anything tangible proved costly as the hosts wasted several chances to break the deadlock in an encounter played throughout at a frenetic pace.

Aden Flint was guilty of arguably the most glaring miss when the imposing centre-back arrived in the area unmarked to head wide a Ryan Shotton cross wide from six yards. 

Lewis Wing’s low, driven effort was enough to break the deadlock at the start of the second 45

The attacking midfielder directed his effort beyond the diving Leeds defence and into the goal

The attacking midfielder launched himself through the air in celebration following his goal

Wing let out a roar of emotion after sending the decibel levels inside the Riverside rising

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa remained perched on his box, eager for his side to respond

Shotton came close when the full-back was unable to apply sufficient direction to a George Friend cross at the far post with the goal at his mercy.

George Saville saw two purposeful efforts saved by Darren Randolph, and there was still time in a hectic first period for Wing to curl a low effort narrowly wide from the edge of the area after further defensive hesitation from the visitors.

Those chances were forgotten two minutes after the break when Wing found time and space in the area to find the bottom corner from an inviting Friend cut-back after Saville’s ball inside the ailing Luke Ayling released the Boro skipper down the left. 

It was a goal which belatedly provoked a response from Bielsa’s side, who fashioned five clear chances to equalise in three minutes midway through the second-half, only to spurn them all.

The home faithful brought out the flags and flares in order to whip up an atmosphere

Defender Dael Fry got the better of former Boro forward Patrick Bamford to head the ball clear

Jack Clarke battled with Middlesbrough’s Ryan Shotton in the opening stages of the contest

Patrick Bamford, who scored a hat-trick for the Teessiders in this fixture last season, somehow contriving to poke the ball wide from inside the six-yard area when a Pontus Jansson header came back off the post to the unmarked striker. 

Bamford also saw another presentable opportunity deflected wide by the excellent Friend, while Darren Randolph produced a stunning double save to deny Kemar Roofe from close range.

Redemption arrived in the 12 minutes of added time, such a hefty amount down largely to a stoppage for treatment to a member of the Leeds coaching team, who left the arena on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask, as the final whistle was greeted with an ironic chorus of ‘Leeds are falling apart again’ from 4,500 ecstatic travelling fans, who had seen plenty of evidence to suggest that their heroes may well avoid such an unwanted fate in the remaining three months of the campaign. 

Fans arrived early at the Riverside on a bright and sunny yet chilly day in Middlesbrough