George Edmundson’s Season That Has Seen Him in EFL’s League Two Team Of The Year
On the last day of last season until things started to go horribly wrong just before half time, a young George Edmundson’s goal at Northampton was keeping Latics in League One and relegating neighbours Rochdale. George doesn’t score a great number of goals, but that would have been one to remember.
He has been an ever present this season and, one of the first on the team sheet whoever the manager has been. There was an interesting statistic floating around at the start of the year, that no player under the age of 21 had won more aerial duels (239) or made more interceptions (331) in the top four tiers of English football this season than Edmundson. That obviously didn’t go unnoticed and there were several rumours that Fleetwood, Scunthorpe, Preston, Wigan and Peterborough were interested during the transfer window but it came to nothing.
George signed a two year contract in September 2018 and they may well struggle to keep him when that contract expires. Comparisons have been made with James Tarkowski, capped twice for England and a regular in the Burnley side who started his career in the Oldham under 18’s.
His one goal so far this season came against Cambridge at Boundary Park from a set piece after the visitors had gone ahead, but it is not his goal-scoring ability which has got him noticed. For the first time in over 10 years, Latics have a positive goal difference approaching the end of the season, and it is due in no uncertain terms to the solid defensive ability of George alongside captain Peter Clarke and ‘keeper Daniel Iversen.
It could be a lot better of course with some late conceded goals being the downfall of Latics this season but when the dust has settled on the 18/19 campaign, the game at Fulham in the FA Cup will stand out with a match winning performance by Edmundson one of the highlights of a fantastic day.
It would have been a travesty if George hadn’t been included in the League Two team of the season and, the fact that he is alongside players who are all from teams in the top three shows how well he is regarded.
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