Paul Heckingbottom drops hint about Leeds pair Edmondson and Dalby

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Has Paul Heckingbottom hinted that Ryan Edmondson and Sam Dalby could make their Leeds United debut this season?

Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed to BBC Radio Leeds that he has been looking at both Ryan Edmondson and Sam Dalby recently, and seemed to hint that the pair could make their Leeds debuts before the end of the season.

It has been a frustrating start to his tenure at Elland Road for Heckingbottom with just two wins coming so far. While they were beaten fairly comfortably on Tuesday by promotion-chasing Fulham, the Whites certainly had their chances to dent the Cottagers’ hopes of catching the Championship’s top two.

Caleb Ekuban and Jay-Roy Grot seemed to sum up their respective seasons as both missed absolutely golden chances. Ekuban’s opportunity was the more difficult, but came seconds before Fulham doubled their lead, while Grot managed to put his header over the bar when it looked easier to score.

With Pierre-Michel Lasogga only on loan, the striker situation is one that Heckingbottom and Victor Orta must address at the end of the campaign as it looks as if Ekuban and Grot, and the currently-injured Kemar Roofe, will not be able to shoulder the burden on their own next season.

But could the first-team options soon have a couple of rivals? Dalby has been flying for the under-23s, while Edmondson has been lethal for the under-18s of late, and Heckingbottom provided a glimpse of his intentions by taking Dalby with the squad for the trip to Craven Cottage. And after the game, the Leeds head coach hinted that they are two players that may make their senior bow this season.

“There could be chances for them. In all honesty, I need to see more of them, know more about them,” he told BBC Radio Leeds. “I’ve had young Ryan with us for a few days and I’ve seen Ryan in a game. Sam, [I’ve seen] a little bit in training but more in the games. So yeah, you never know, there could be an opportunity.”

While throwing Dalby, or even Edmondson, in could be deemed a gamble, it is perhaps the ideal time to take such a risk with the season fizzling out and the first-team strikers giving the fans little to shout about.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell has taken his opportunity and impressed, so perhaps giving one of the academy strikers a chance in the remaining weeks could quickly begin to look like an inspired move.