Has Thomas Christiansen Just Struck Gold For Leeds United With The Signing Of This York City Starlet?

Has Thomas Christiansen Just Struck Gold For Leeds United With The Signing Of Ryan Edmondson?

Leeds United may have been drawing a lot of fire of late, owing to their performances in the EFL Championship, but that hasn’t stopped the club from keeping an eye on the future as they clinched the signing of promising youngster Ryan Edmondson from non-league side York City, on Wednesday. 

The 16-year old striker became another addition to the youth-centred recruitment plan under club director Victor Orta, joining the likes of Bryce Hosannah, Oriol Rey, Ousama Siddiki, Adrian Balboa, Madger Gomes, Oliver Sarkic and Kun Temenuzhkov, who were all brought in this summer.  

The 16-year old striker came up through the ranks with Minstermen and went on to make his first-team debut for the non-league outfit last month, having impressed at such a young age. A boyhood Whites supporter, Edmondson has signed a deal with the club until the summer of 2020. 

“When [York manager] Martin Gray gave me the opportunity to make my first team debut last month it was a massive step in my career,” Edmondson said, as quoted by the Express, upon completion of the move.  

“It’s a big step now to move from York to Leeds but I have been a Leeds fan ever since I was a kid and it’s always been my dream to play at Elland Road. 

“Moving to any other club was going to be hard but I am going to my ‘dream’ club. I never expected to move from York to a Championship club but my aim is to push myself as hard as I can.  

“I am still pinching myself now and worry that I might wake up from this dream! It’s all very surreal.” 

It is natural for any youngster to feel the excitement of getting his dream move, and Edmondson too is going through a similar experience.  

A very exciting talent, who has been tipped by his former boss at York City to be cut out to play in the Premier League in the future, Edmondson is a tall, old-fashioned centre-forward with plenty of raw pace to burn. Standing close to 6ft 4in, the 16-year old possesses lightning speed for someone of his height and stature and is adept at dribbling his way past opponents. A player with an aggressive mindset, Edmondson is also known to be an intelligent operator who reads the game well and is a quick learner.  

The prospect of him linking up with the likes of Jack Clarke, who has been widely regarded as one of the most talented young footballers coming through and Temenuzhkov, a former Barcelona academy man who is tipped to make it big, is surely a wonderful prospect for Leeds United.

The senior team may be going through a rough patch at the moment, which has led to a lot of frustrations. The signing of Edmondson might not reap benefits immediately but it should definitely fill the fans with a lot of excitement, as it is a great move which might pay off in the future.