An excellent article in the Evening Chronicle today one one of our up and coming stars, David Edgar.
David Edgar – star of the future at Newcastle?
This is going to be a critical season for David, because his contract runs out next summer, and we think he has to prove he is first team caliber at Newcastle next season, to get a renewed contract at the club.
Keegan did give David a run in the team at the end of last season, with the youngster starting the games against Reading and West Ham.
Edgar said today:
“I’m looking forward to the pre-season program.”
“I should be back to full fitness soon after my hernia op.”
“It’s good to be back, and after last season you want to be involved in the first team, week-in, week-out.”
“The gaffer gave me my chance last season and it’s great to be around him.â€
Edgar had the hernia surgery at the end of last season, and then joined his family in Canada over the summer.
It also appears that David has a good chance of being called up for the full Canadian team, for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Jamaica at Toronto FC’s BMO Field.
His coach at Canada has told him he must be playing regularly to be considered, so we expect David will be pushing for a place anywhere along Newcastle’s back four next season.
He has performed well at both full-back positions for Newcastle. and who will ever forget his fantastic goal against Manchester United in January, 2007, when he was playing at left back.
He could never get that smile off his face for the rest of the game, could he?
The Chronicle says David has already been contacted by the Canadian National Side, who notified him he was under consideration for their World Cup qualifiers.
David continued:
“I have been on the bench for them for the last two seasons.”
“But I feel that I have what it takes and will have to take my chance.â€
David could well be a dark horse this coming season, because he seems to have been taken under Kevin’s wing, and we already know the boy can perform in the Premier League.
For Newcastle to be a top six team, we will need players like David coming through big time for us next season.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised if David did just that.
Comments welcome.
30 comments so far
51times
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Comment #1I hope he can hack it with the best…he deserves his chance at least.
seetow
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:37 PM
Comment #2with king kev teaching him, this lad could be a really good player! just don’t really see him coming into his own this season, unless abdoulaye faye has a serious injury or something..
laurent32
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:37 PM
Comment #3i really like edgar and think he could be a top player, potentially better than taylor. a problem i think we have at the moment is that taylor faye and edgar are of similar quality and all want to be playing. edgar at the moment is the one having to sit on the bench. if taylor or faye were to be dropped i think they would ask to leave so kk has a bit of a selection headache on his hands.
dan_from_france
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:38 PM
Comment #4hopes so but i still dont know if he has what it takes to be a top class hope so but prob just an average prem defender
John
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:44 PM
Comment #5Good, but not good enough . If we want to be pushing for Europe he’s hardly a player that would play week in week out…
Been honest, I don’t even have faith in that he could be back up..Probably a championship player at best…
LondonToon
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Comment #6I agree with John. Seems a nice guy, and if he does leave I hope he does well. Maybe he could join the Roeder revolution down at Carrow Road! But will never make the grade for me, unless he improves dramatically.
neeraj
Jul 8, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Comment #7he is good
i like him coz he’s 20, got grt room for improvement
had a good game against wigan,
keep him for another 3-4 years this guy is gonna be good
rio ferdinand wasnt a world beater at 20…..
t-g-w
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Comment #8Think he might end up a bit like another Peter Ramage.
Bill F SPLASH MORE CASH ASH
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Comment #9I do get really dissapointed at times with the lack of optimism and enthusiasm for some of our youngsters. They have played a handfull of games (at most) in one of the toughest leagues in the world where even players like Vidic struggled to get a start and they are being written off before they even start their careers. Look at Fletcher he hardly got a start at ManU for about two seasons but towards the end of last season he was looking good for them.
They have to be given a real chance before we start classifying them as not good enough.
MAG PIE
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:26 PM
Comment #10Sol Campbell was one of the worst defenders I’d ever seen when Spurs came to SJP in the mid 90’s. Suddenly it seemed to click. It was brave of Spurs to stick with him. We need to show faith in Faye, Taylor, Edgar, Cacapa. If Keegan sets up as we hope, best form of defence will be attack anyway.
Leo
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Comment #11agreed bill f we need to give him a good stab at it for sure.
Davies
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Comment #12I don’t care what anybody says, when this boy settles down he will be class. He didn’t get much first team action last season, and looked a bit excited when he started after Taylor picked up a stomach bug, but as the match got going he bedded in well. He got his head down and played well. Remember, he’s still very young and has a lot of learning to do, like Taylor. I’d like to see him in the starting line up more often, so he can build up his confidence.
Also, I will always be grateful to him for “that goal”.
Mr T
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Comment #13Well we need to show more faith in Edgar, Taylor, Enrique etc and in later lifes Kadar, Tozer etc because of youth. If we’re talking business sense, we’re far more likely to get a better return from building up a young one than letting a veteran rot.
shirts
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Comment #14Roeder played him regular-like for a while, right? But I guess that was due tot he injury crisis at the time. I thought he played quite well at the time, though I think Enrique and Beye have locks on the full back slots this year. Enrique really got stronger and better as the season wore on and I think he’ll be even better this season…
Wesley
Jul 8, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Comment #15He needs a good run in the team but i wouldnt drop anyone to play him. I think he needs someone to pick up a serious injury to take their place.
Obafan
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:03 PM
Comment #16He already played a couple of times in the first team and to be fair he never disapponted me! On the contrary he played good games and his goal against Man Utd was fantastic. I think he has more potential than Taylor, who I think is
overrated.
Would not be surprised if the starting backline (with our current players) will be:
Beye – Faye – Cacapa – Enrique
shirts
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Comment #17I remember a few games where Faye played as a defensive midfielder (was Butt injured?) and thought he looked good there. What about
Beye, Cacapa, Taylor, Enrique
and Faye out in front of them?
Kash2
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Comment #18Faye can’t pass! We need a new DM to challenge Butt!
Anthony
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Comment #19well said Bill
I definitely think Edgar has potential..
I hope we will at least offer him a two years contract and loan him out to play regular first team football and see how he goes
he is still very young as a CB…frankly if we are going to sign someone like Dawson or Ferdinand, I prefer we give our youngsters like Edgar and Kadar a chance
Alex
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Comment #20We should give the lad a 1 year extension to his contract then loan him out for the season . If he goes to a club where he would be playing regularly he would pick up a bit of experience and come back fitter and stronger , then we could really see if he is a premiership player . I think from what he has shown from the few chances that he has had that he will become a very good defender.
Soren
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:54 PM
Comment #21He should be given a chance this season to gain some experience either by playing in the first team or going on loan somewhere. But he will need to gain some weight, as he is way too light now to fight with the likes of Ashton, Adebayor and that kind of physical striker.
Gain some pounds and this lad will turn out pretty neat.
ende
Jul 8, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Comment #22How about Barton as Butt’s heir?
Edgar would be an ideal squad player this year if he can cover anywhere in the back four.
Fernando
Jul 8, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Comment #23I think he should be sent out on loan as defending isnt kks strong point so the lad coul do with learning his trade away from sjp for a season o two.
Bill F SPLASH MORE CASH ASH
Jul 8, 2008 at 5:49 PM
Comment #24Fernando, thats why we now have Chris Hughton as a defence coach and there was some improvement towards the end of last season.
Canadian Mag
Jul 8, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Comment #25He is a good young player, don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen him play a lot but i will be honest. He does not show any real potential. He is almost the same player he was 2 seasons ago.
He looked average at best at last years U-20 world cup.Unlike some other’s at that tournament that he should be aiming to be mentioned in the same breath as. Ex. Diego Capel or Gerard Pique of Spain, Mauro Zarate, Angel Di Maria or Emiliano Insua of Argentina.
I am hoping that I’m wrong and he is a late bloomer.
JR Lutterbach Habib
Jul 8, 2008 at 8:27 PM
Comment #26Sincerely, I didn’t like his performance against West Ham United.
Nick Dryden
Jul 8, 2008 at 9:16 PM
Comment #27Will neve forget the day Edgar played Ronaldo to a standstill and still found time to score !!
Edgar will make mistakes as he learns, but look at Taylor – how many chances has he had even after making a lot of Bramblesque errors.
Edgar has genuine quality.
NUFCAl
Jul 8, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Comment #28I could be wrong of course, but everything I’ve seen so far suggests that he’s never going to make it at the highest level. He deserves a decent chance but he was extremely poor against Reading and West Ham, didn’t look like he knew his arse from his elbow.
It’s a shame because he’s a committed level-headed lad but he’s just not good enough and you can’t be sentimental about these things. If they’re not good enough they have to go. I reckon Edgar will be playing Championship football by September 2009.
No point in curtailing the progress of a younger player who has far more potential just to keep fannying around with him. Kadar will be a star if he isn’t left waiting in line as second priority too long.
Ausgeordie
Jul 9, 2008 at 1:01 AM
Comment #29I’m glad our defence got better but it was a surprise considering the new coach was from spurs who were almost as leaky as us! That being said at the end of last season we looked good. Our midfield stuggled though and this is where we need reinforcment. I cant see Edgar making it to be honest
Rubber Guard
Jul 12, 2008 at 7:23 PM
Comment #30I think all the doubters may be in for a shock, Keegan rates him very highly I’ve heard.
Personally I wouldnt make a final assessment on any player after seeing him play only a couple of games. It disappoints me that some fans write off some of our kids before they’ve had a chance to show what they can do.
Against Man Utd Edgar marked Ronaldo out of the game in the first half and Ferguson switched him wings, as he often does, lets not forget that