Mariners recruit enjoyed moment ‘every boy dreams of’ in ‘ridiculous’ football upbringing

After scoring the first hat-trick of his professional career, English striker Ryan Edmondson tells aleagues.com.au how a special reunion inspired him to join Central Coast Mariners.

A good magician never reveals their secrets – and maybe that’s why Ryan Edmondson can’t quite put a finger on how Mark Jackson does it.

A Reunion with Mark Jackson

“Jacko always seems to see the bright in people,” Edmondson tells aleagues.com.au. “I don’t know how he does it, but he manages to bring that side out of people.

“It must be some sort of spell that he has.”

Be it a magic trick or not, Edmondson is sure that when he’s playing for Jackson, he feels at his best as a footballer.

The Leeds United Connection

He felt it from the first day he arrived at the Leeds United academy at 16, thriving under Jackson in the U18s.

He felt it as he made his senior Leeds debut in the Championship later that year, as one of the youngest debutants in the club’s history.

But in the years that followed, through a series of loan moves and an eventual move away from the club, Edmondson felt that magic wear off. That’s why, when Jackson picked up the phone to offer him a fresh start in Gosford, the answer was simple.

“As a career move, if I am to get back to the best I could possibly be, it will be Jacko that will bring that back out of me.”

Joining Central Coast Mariners

Central Coast signed Edmondson from Carlisle United in late January, on a two-and-a-half year contract. Although the the change of scenery was a shock to the system, the 22-year-old found solace in reuniting with Jackson, who is also relatively new to Gosford having taken charge of the reigning Isuzu UTE A-League champions before the 2023-24 campaign began.

Jackson isn’t the only familiar face at the Mariners for the North Yorkshireman. Assistant Danny Schofield worked in Leeds U23s coaching staff when a teenage Edmondson bagged 18 goals to lead the team to the 2018-19 Category 2 Professional Development League title. Andres Clavijo is another former Leeds coach in Jackson’s Mariners coaching staff.

The familiarity has helped Edmondson quickly find his feet on the Coast.

A Different Path

European footballers don’t often find themselves in the Isuzu UTE A-League at 22 but Edmondson – an England U19 international who just two years ago was signed to a Premier League team – has deliberately taken a road less travelled, with his faith instilled in the calibre of a coach, rather than the profile of a club.

“I made my debut with Leeds at 16 in the Championship, and I’m proud of my achievements and the clubs I’ve been a part of,” he says.

“But on a personal note, I probably wasn’t doing as well as I thought I could be doing in the UK, in terms of playing and the way I felt on the pitch.

“If I’m being honest, the best I felt was my time at Leeds, and it showed being able to play in the Championship so young, and some of the records I was setting with the U23s at such a young age.

“It came down to being with Jacko again. I think Jacko makes me feel very comfortable, same with Danny (Schofield – Mariners assistant). I’ve got a great relationship with both of them.

“Don’t get me wrong – it’s not being at Leeds United over here. Of course it’s not. But it definitely helps in the aspect of knowing people and having a close relationship with the staff, which gave me a lot of belief in coming over here.

Looking Back at Leeds United

On his first day at Leeds, a 16-year-old Edmondson stood in front of the doors to the academy and posed for the cameras, with Jackson stood beside him.

Their respective journeys at the club have come to an end, but the two Yorkshiremen have preserved a piece of their shared history and are nurturing it together, six years on, with that sense of magic growing ever stronger in the Gosford air.

“We’ve got a very good connection, and we know each other on the level where he knows my potential and what I can do,” he says.

“He makes everything feel comfortable. He’s very welcoming, which I’m sure all the lads over here have found out. And he’s been a really good figure for me in staying professional.

“He drives people to standards they didn’t even know they had. He brings out the best in people – especially on the pitch.”

Edmondson and the Mariners are next in Isuzu UTE A-League action on Sunday, February 18 against Western Sydney Wanderers at Industree Group Stadium. Buy your tickets today!