Newcastle article on David Edgar's future at club

[sstackho]

News

Are the kids all right at United?

By John Gibson

805 words

23 March 2007

The Evening Chronicle, Newcastle

50

English

© 2007 The Newcastle Chronicle & Journal Ltd

This very day, on t'other side of the Atlantic Ocean, David Edgar will shrug off his recent disappointments at Newcastle United and growing speculation over his future to proudly represent the country of his birth.

Edgar will play for Canada against Scotland in an Under-20 international in Vancouver and on Monday add another international cap to his growing collection with the Scots once again in opposition.

David, born in Canada of Geordie parents, will proudly walk out, head held high and back ramrod straight, for the Under-20 World Cup finals which begin in his own country on July 1 ( but will he still be a Newcastle player by then?

Because Edgar's current contract is about to expire, with little indication from United that they are desperately anxious to retain his services, despite him bursting spectacularly on to the first-team scene this season.

His case is part of the huge stocktaking United are about to embark on in view of the way the current campaign has collapsed in failure.

Now, it may be thought by some that, having scored a dramatic long-range equaliser against Manchester United in front of 52,000 at St James' Park, young David need not worry about his future.

Not so ( despite a belated reassurance that he will get a new deal, attempts to open talks have apparently fallen upon deaf ears at St James' Park, although only a couple of months of the season remains.

And a clue may be found in the fact that, since going on as a sub to play in his proper position of centre-half against West Ham at home, and starring as a 0-2 deficit was turned into a 2-2 draw, Edgar has not kicked a ball at senior level.

That appearance was back on January 20, all of 10 matches ago.

Any hopes of gaining valuable experience away from Tyneside on loan evaporated at 5pm last night, the deadline for such transfers this season.

There is a feeling, borne out by his prolonged absence in a period when United's defence has been rocking, that the club's management frankly don't see Edgar as Premier League class.

That, of course, is their right.

His agent, Barry McLean, of Firstwave Sports, told me from Canada: "We have put a proposal to Newcastle but as yet they have not come back to us.

"We want to move forward because David is committed to Newcastle, but at the end of the day we must do the right thing because the next 12 months are absolutely crucial to him.

"David is out of contract at the end of June which, of course, means United are running a risk by leaving him open to talk to other clubs.

"I have been dealing mostly with Glenn Roeder, but if we get the green light on the phone I'm ready to fly over to talk details with Freddy Shepherd."

While having to sort out the more pressing problems of glaring weaknesses amongst the senior players manager Glenn Roeder has also to address the future of his kids ( and not just Edgar.

There is Charles N'Zogbia, a hugely talented French winger with pace to burn whose way into the first team is currently blocked by £5m Damien Duff.

N'Zogbia will be retained right now, of course, but the fear is that he could become frustrated and eventually be thrown out, as James Milner was last summer before being called back at the 11th hour because of United's failure to buy on transfer deadline day.

And there is Dutch keeper Tim Krul, who performed brilliantly in the 1-0 UEFA Cup victory at Palermo, but who remains third in line after Shay Given and Steve Harper.

In the not too distant future a decision will also have to be made on him. It's tricky because such a huge overhaul is required at all levels, and with young players every club is haunted by the fear that they will release a future star, as Cambridge and Gillingham did with Peter Beardsley.

Of course, buying a first-team defence in bulk while sorting out a top midfield creator to make United tick and attempting to recoup hard cash on the flops is what will dominate the thoughts of fans.

But one thing is very clear ( it must be a much more active summer than the last one or danger looms.

In the meantime, on the other side of the pond David Edgar will be a proud young man today, an international player.

However. heartache could yet await him back at the football club where his dad Eddie, a goalkeeper, was released three decades ago after only one first-team game.

[sstackho]

There was also a Dan Stinson article in the Vancouver Sun that I might as well throw here instead of making a new thread.

Sports

Edgar's promise was plain in Spain: Canadian star starts shining at early age

Dan Stinson

Vancouver Sun

935 words

23 March 2007

Vancouver Sun

Final

G5

English

Copyright © 2007 Vancouver Sun

There's a Vancouver connection -- via Newcastle, England and Malaga, Spain -- on David Edgar's express-lane drive to becoming the most celebrated player in Canadian youth men's soccer.

It happened on Sept. 5, 2005. English Premier League team Newcastle United had accepted an invitation to play an exhibition game against Malaga CF on the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Second Division team's founding, albeit with a less-than-full-strength side that included a mix of Newcastle first-team and reserve-team players.

Tony Caig, now heading into his second season with the Vancouver Whitecaps, was Newcastle's starting goalkeeper in the match. Playing in front of him, at centre back, was Edgar, then a 17-year-old youngster aiming to make a good early impression with the famed Magpies.

At full strength, Malaga edged Newcastle 2-1.

"It was my first taste of first-team action, and at the time I thought it was the game of my life," Edgar said this week following a Canada under-20 team practice in preparation for Saturday's 1 p.m. exhibition game against Scotland at Swangard Stadium.

"We had a lot of youngsters in the game, but held a good Malaga team to two goals on their home pitch," he said. "When I got back to Newcastle, the newspapers were saying that Malaga was trying to buy me. It was quite a big deal."

It was Edgar's non-league debut with Newcastle, which signed him to his first professional contract within a week.

Caig wasn't surprised.

"David did very well in that game," said Caig, who played three seasons with the Newcastle reserve team before signing with the Whitecaps in November 2005. "He was a big, strong centre back and showed himself well before 20,000 fans. You could tell he had a bright future in football."

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder shared that opinion.

He gave Edgar his Premier League debut on Dec. 26, 2006, in a road game against Bolton Wanderers, then tapped him as an 11th-hour replacement for the injured Nicky Butt in a Jan. 1 home match against Manchester United. Starting in an unfamiliar left fullback spot, Edgar scored the 2-2 equalizing goal in the 73rd minute against the mighty Red Devils before a sellout crowd of 53,000 at Newcastle's St. James Park.

"Obviously, it was a thrill," said the 6-3, 170-pound Edgar. "But then I got a text phone message at home from [former England international and Newcastle striker] Alan Shearer, congratulating me on the goal. For that to happen was just unbelievable."

Now 19, Edgar has played in four games -- three Premier League matches and one FA Cup contest -- with Newcastle and is close to signing a new contract with the club. His current deal expires on June 30.

Edgar and his Canadian teammates are preparing for the June 30 to July 22 FIFA World Youth Cup tournament, which will be staged in six Canadian cities. Slotted in Group A, Canada kicks off the tournament July 1 with a match against Chile at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto, then moves to Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium for the balance of group games.

Canada also plays Scotland in a friendly game next Tuesday at Victoria's Royal Athletic Park.

Edgar's first trip to England came at age nine, when his father, former English League goalkeeper Eddie Edgar, coached an under-11 Kitchener Spirit team and took it to the Manchester United Umbro youth tournament. David played impressively in the tournament, helping the Spirit win the tourney title, and was invited to join United's youth academy.

He turned down the invitation.

"At that age, Canadian talent is as good as anywhere in the world," Eddie Edgar told the Toronto Star. "But I didn't want David to leave home at that time. He was too young."

Four years later, Eddie Edgar took many of the same players, including David, back to the U.K. They toured the academies of some of the biggest clubs in Great Britain, including Newcastle United. At Newcastle, a scout took David aside. He liked what he saw in the 14-year-old, who signed with Newcastle's youth academy.

Today, Edgar has 19 caps and one goal with Canada. He holds the distinction of being the first Canadian youth player to score against Brazil -- in a 2-1 exhibition game win over the South American side on May 19, 2006, at Commonwealth Stadium.

This year is Edgar's third under-20 World Cup with Canada.

"We see Dave as a centre back with this team," said Canada's head coach Dale Mitchell. "We've also played him in central midfield, and that's another option for us. But he's a good talker and organizer."

GOAL DUST: Six B.C. players are on Canada's roster for the games against Scotland: Defender Kent O'Connor of West Vancouver, defender/midfielders Marcus Haber of Vancouver, Michael D'Agostino of Langley and Masumi Turnbull of Richmond, Coquitlam midfielder Keegan Ayre, and Vancouver forward Alex Elliott ... Edmonton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is sidelined for three weeks with a knee injury and Calgary backstopper Zack Kalthoff is ill, leaving Dave Monsalve of Brampton, Ont., as the 'keeper in both games against Scotland.

danstinson@shaw.ca

[villus]

Hopefully Edgar can come into regular first team action with Newcastle or go onto another top side either on loan or full contract. I think he is a critical point in his development and primed to break out, I really dont know why Newcastle did not loan him out.

[wildguy27]

It is too bad he is not getting to play regularly. .

[Guest Jeffery S.]

Dumb correction, I know, but Malaga CF disappeared, went into bankrupcy, about ten years ago, and the new club is not the same as the old. If they celebrated the centennial that was their choice, but technically it is not the same club. I think the name is different.

Would have been great to see Edgar go there though, it is a club that rightfully should find its way back to top flight, has money, great redone stadium, some interesting backers (Fernando Sainz, former player and son of former Real Madrid president Lorenzo).

The key is for his agent to be on top of things while folks are watching this summer, I am sure many of these kids are going to walk into new clubs next September, and maybe Edgar with them.

[BearcatSA]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

The key is for his agent to be on top of things while folks are watching this summer, I am sure many of these kids are going to walk into new clubs next September, and maybe Edgar with them.

Agreed...if he has a strong tournament, he shouldn't have a shortage of suitors. However, I hope he and the others don't get distracted by such proceedings during the course of the tourney (i.e. the agent starts talking to him about contract terms with such and such a club while Edgar and his teammates are preparing for a quarterfinal match).

[sstackho]

Roeder weighing up temporary moves for United's young stars

By Paul Fraser

569 words

26 March 2007

The Northern Echo

41

English

© 2007 North of England Newspapers.

GLENN ROEDER has opened contract talks with Newcastle United's rising talents but admits the youngsters are likely to spend next season away from St James' Park.

Roeder was part of the West Ham set-up under Harry Redknapp that believed in loaning out promising teenagers in an attempt to prepare them for the strains of first team football.

And, given the approach helped develop such talents like Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, the Newcastle manager continued it when he took charge at Upton Park, when Glen Johnson was one of those to breakthrough after a short period with Millwall.

Now, during a campaign when he has had to hand opportunities to inexperienced reserve team players more regularly than he would have liked due to injuries, Roeder concedes that in an ideal world he will not be doing similar come August.

"We're in talks with David Edgar and all the young lads, Andy Carroll, Matty Pattison, " said the Magpies boss, who knows he will need to spend plenty cash on reinforcements during the summer.

"We are just starting to talk about a longer contract for David and the rest of the lads. I would imagine David would still be at Newcastle next season.

"Had we not had that injury crisis, they would all have been out on loan. I'm a big believer of what we did at West Ham. Harry did it and I agreed with him and did it myself. Get the kids out on loan.

"Rio went to Bournemouth, Frank went to Swansea and Jermain Defoe went to Bournemouth and smashed the goalscoring record down there.

"We used to watch them, mind you they never played particularly well because the football wasn't conducive to the way they had been taught at West Ham.

But they were in a man's environment, a man's dressing room.

I'll be looking to do that next year, very much so."

One of those sure to find himself in such a position is Dutch keeper Tim Krul, signed last summer as someone very much with the future in mind.

In his only appearance for Newcastle since his switch he was outstanding, keeping a clean sheet in the narrow win in Palermo last November.

Roeder will consider allowing Krul to go out on loan too, provided the injury situation allows him to do so.

"Tim falls into that category, big time, " said Roeder. "He is a keeper I hold in the highest regard. He had the most wonderful debut imaginable in Palermo but he now needs games. He is being brought back slowly from injury, he doesn't need to play again this season but we're looking to farm him out on loan next season, probably for the whole year.

"But you have to be very careful of the club we choose because he has been very well coached by Terry Gennoe and is working with two fantastic keepers who he is learning from. It may be the case we do not want him to go too far away so he can still be coached by Terry."

Shay Given is a doubt for the Republic of Ireland's game against Slovakia on Wednesday.

He will have a scan after suffering a knee injury in Saturday's 1-0 win over Wales at Croke Park.

[youllneverwalkalone]

These articles seem to conflict. I wonder if the agent is giving Newcastle a hard time over his client's wages. Part of getting those young players out is having them on a budget contract (I'm clearly an expert as I've played lots of FM ) From David's point of view though, he's been a regular in the reserves for some time. I can't imagine he wants to spend a season in League One.

I think he's ready for some premiership minutes. The problem with Newcastle is they're always underachieving, so I can't see him being loaned out to mid-table side. Given that Lensky has stepped in to Feyenoord's first team, I wonder if he should consider leaving on a free to Holland. He would look good playing for Ajax, a club not afraid to play young players. I would also think he'd be playing a style of football a little closer to what Simoes has in mind.

[Desigol]

Maybe Edgar can join a Scottish side, like Celtic or Hearts. Doubt he'll join the Bears as Walter Smith would be under pressure to favour Scottish players, whilst no other Scottish side can afford him.