Ryan Edmondson was signed by Leeds United back in November and is making an impression in the under-18 side.
When Thomas Christiansen was sacked by Leeds United shortly after the defeat to Cardiff City, a large section of the Whites fans expressed their belief that it was the right decision but Christiansen should have not been the only member of the team to fall on their sword.
Director of football Victor Orta received a lot of blame for the head coach’s struggles, with many suggesting that the standard of the recruitment since Orta arrived at Elland Road has been poor, with only a handful of signings proving to be overwhelming successes since their arrivals.
One of the criticisms levelled at Orta in recent times has been the club’s apparent focus on bolstering their youth ranks at a time when the first-team seemed to be in with a great chance of reaching the play-off places. Now, of course, that task of securing a top six spot looks even more daunting for new boss Paul Heckingbottom.
But, while it will not alleviate all of the concerns the supporters will have about Orta, the former Middlesbrough man can undoubtedly take a small piece of comfort from the way that one of the club’s signings is performing for the under-18s.
Ryan Edmondson arrived from York City back in November on a deal which the club confirmed will run until 2020. And after his scoring his first goals for the club in the recent win over Birmingham City, the young striker caught the eye once again at the weekend as he inspired Leeds to a win against their Burnley counterparts.
Much like his first goal against the Blues, Edmondson’s first against the Clarets came when he made a smart run from a corner to get to the back post and head home from close range.
His second came from a brilliant one touch move in the midfield which resulted in Edmondson receiving the ball in front of an open goal, and he calmly took full advantage of the chance.
His third goal came from a brilliant through ball which allowed Edmondson to showcase his pace and power as he ran through on goal before showing off his composure to slide the ball into the net to complete the treble.
With under-23 starlet Oliver Sarkic recently picking up an injury, there may perhaps be a great opportunity for the 16-year-old to press for the chance to move up to Carlos Corberan’s team in the near future.
We may be a few years away from knowing whether the time spent on bolstering the academy ranks will have a positive impact on the first-team, but Edmondson’s hat-trick for the under-18s coming shortly after the under-23s clinched a 5-1 win just provides a small hint that the foundations being put in place could have the potential to make Leeds very strong indeed.
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