Could Ryan Edmondson now have golden chance at Leeds?

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Could Ryan Edmondson be the player to benefit most as Jay-Roy Grot leaves Leeds United on loan?

In a Leeds academy that seems to have little problem regularly churning out exciting talents these days, Ryan Edmondson is arguably the youngster that the Elland Road faithful are most optimistic about after a season which saw the 17-year-old join the Whites in November and subsequently move through the youth ranks before making his first-team debut on the final day of the campaign.

It remains to be seen what kind of role Marcelo Bielsa sees the teenage striker playing next term, but given that he has been pictured training with the first-team in pre-season, it would appear that the new Leeds boss does have Edmondson in his thoughts.

And after it was confirmed last week that Jay-Roy Grot has left on loan for the coming season, perhaps it would be fair to say that Edmondson now potentially has a golden opportunity to elevate himself up the pecking order at Elland Road.

After Grot’s difficult first season with Leeds, the Whites fans would have surely been hoping that Edmondson was ahead of the Dutchman – as well as Caleb Ekuban – in the pecking order anyway, but his departure may prove a real blessing for the starlet.

With no strikers signed so far this summer – though it would be a massive surprise if that was still the case by the time the season began – and fewer rivals in the building following Grot’s temporary exit, Edmondson may have more of a chance to perfect his game in pre-season and once the Championship campaign begins.

There may be less pressure on Edmondson’s shoulders with fewer strikers to pick from and that may prove to be exactly what he needs to ensure that he stays on the right path towards realising his full potential.

Grot may enjoy the kind of sensational loan spell back in the Eredivisie that tempts a number of Leeds fans to urge Bielsa to hand him another chance – in fairness, it would be unfair to write him off entirely at this stage – but perhaps his loan exit may now hand Edmondson the platform to show the kind of glimpses of potential that almost make it irrelevant what Grot does this coming year anyway.