The man who discovered Ryan Edmondson believes his loan stint at Aberdeen can help him develop into an English Premier League striker.
The 19-year-old is with the Dons on a temporary deal until January and in contention to face Celtic in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final.
Gary Mills played a significant role in Edmondson’s breakthrough in senior football.
A European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest during his playing days Mills was in his second stint as manager of York City when he spotted Edmondson as a 16-year-old in the club’s academy.
He brought the teenager in to train with the first-team before leaving the Minstermen in September 2017, with Edmondson’s debut coming just a couple of weeks later.
The player was signed by Leeds in November 2017 and Mills believes he is destined for big things.
The 58-year-old said: “I think that will be his ambition (to play in the English Premier League) and Leeds will be thinking the same I think.
“For them allowing him to go to Aberdeen says a lot about how they view him, he’s not been sent out to play non-league.
“He’s gone to play in a very tough league and for Ryan to join Aberdeen it’s a big move for him and a big move in terms of the next step of his career.
“He’s got to make the most of it and learn from it. Leeds will be monitoring how he’s getting on, it’s good he’s got this opportunity and credit to Aberdeen for bringing Ryan in and giving him a chance.”
Edmondson started last weekend’s 3-3 draw for Aberdeen against Celtic and is likely to feature again in the Scottish Cup showdown with the Hoops.
Being involved in such big games is something he should relish according to Mills.
The Corby Town added: “It’s invaluable experience. I got those chances myself and played in a European Cup final (1980) at 18 and that helps you grow up.
“I remember playing against Liverpool at 17 against a side with the likes of (Kenny) Dalglish, (Graeme) Souness and (Alan) Hansen all in it and playing against those sides you grow up.
“And that’s what Ryan will be doing at Aberdeen is growing up and learning what the game is all about.
“Starting against Celtic last week and being involved in cup semi-finals and potentially a final are all things he’ll remember and help him wherever he goes in his career.”
Mills can still remember the first time he saw Edmondson in action at York.
“The youth team used to train at the same place as the first team so I used to watch their sessions and used to go to their home games,” the former Notts County, Derby County and Leicester midfielder said.
“He just stood out from the word go really, more of a young man than a young boy and straightaway I just asked the question who was he.
“They said Ryan Edmondson so I got him involved and training with the first-team. He had a lot of presence for a young player and impressed me with what he was all about.”
Mills would have liked to have worked with Edmondson for longer at York.
But while he was manager at Bootham Crescent, he tried to pass on some of advice he received from legendary managerial duo Brian Clough and Peter Taylor as a young player at Nottingham Forest.
He said: “It was unfortunate at the time that during my second spell at York there was a lot of work to be done and it wasn’t a time as a manager to be able to develop a player as I wanted and there was a lot of work to be done to get a squad together to compete.
“I had to bring in the likes of Jon Parkin in with experience, but it didn’t take away what we thought of Ryan and I’m really pleased with how he’s gone on from there.
“It was good to see Ryan move on into the first-team and as a manager you do take a lot of pride when you see something in a young player and give him an opportunity.
“You have to see something in the player and they have to able to cope with the demands of first-team football, you don’t just do it willy-nilly.
“But Ryan was in that category and was a great lad and I just repeated the words that were said to me by Brian Clough and Peter Taylor which were ‘you’ve got to start learning now, don’t wait until you’re 20 or 21.’
“It’s something that’s gone out of the game is young players being given opportunities early, they probably waste two or three years where they could be involved in first-team football because they’re in academies who don’t like to get them involved in first-team football too early.
“The cliché is if you’re good enough you’re old enough, I’m a believer in that and Ryan was in that category.”