This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Former Leeds player Ben Parker has been remarking on the progress of Ryan Edmondson but his view of the player contrasts to what many fans think.
What did he say?
Edmondson is a player who has always shown a lot of promise for the various Leeds youth teams, and his form for the U23s this season means he may not be too far away from first-team selection. Last month, he’d scored three in three outings for Carlos Corberan’s team.
The 18-year-old has featured twice in the Championship previously but his goalscoring record for the U23s is making people stand up and take notice.
Parker is well aware of his talent but suggests that the club need to be patient, and allow him to continue developing as he has, as that will work out best for both parties in the long run.
Speaking on the LS11 podcast, he said:
“It’s always funny. People score in the under-23s and automatically, they’re getting pushed forward. I just think just let him continue doing what he’s doing.
“Again, great potential. He could play at the club for a number of years. There’s no point rushing these players through, just let them develop at their own rate. There’s one person that’ll know when he’s ready and that’s Bielsa. Let him continue scoring goals.”
Virtually impossible: Can you name the year all of these Leeds flops arrived at Elland Road?
Good enough for first-team?
Because of the quality he has shown this season fans have been quick to suggest that he deserves more minutes for the first-team, and therefore they will want as many people as possible advocating his inclusion, rather than what Parker is suggesting.
The Leeds striker is still young and has plenty of time to develop, but exposing him to first-team football can surely do him no harm, particularly because of the form Leeds are showing.
Bielsa’s side create numerous chances per game, enjoying an average of 17 shots per game this term, and that means that even with a youngster leading the line they are likely to create chances and score goals.
With that under consideration, there is an argument to suggest Edmondson could have an important role, and with only two senior strikers in the squad in Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah, there could come a time where the youth prospect is needed.
As a result, it would be very useful to allow Edmondson to build up his experience as often as he can, and the more he trains and plays with the first-team, the greater his understanding will be of how the squad plays and what Bielsa expects.
In other Leeds news, there is another youngster currently in the squad who has the potential to help the club in the long-term.