As a Canadian soccer supporter, it's hard not to have a soft sport for David Edgar. It was just a few years ago that he was the great hope, the next big Canuck who would crack the EPL and drive Canada towards glory.
But that hasn't panned out as we'd all hoped for the former U-20 captain. Edgar struggled to find regular playing time at Newcastle – despite his game-saving goal against Manchester United – and fared little better after decamping for Burnley in July 2009 (including a lengthy spell of ineligibility for his new club because of transfer red tape). His best run, a brief spell covering in the Clarets' injury-hit defence last year, saw some noteworthy performances from Edgar but he couldn't win a permanent spot in the starting XI, and by season's end, he was loaned out to second-tier Swansea.
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This season hasn't seen much more of Edgar, with just six first-team appearances so far for the Kitchener, Ont., native. His only notable return for those minutes has been a red card – not the kind of impression you want to make with the time you're given.
But changes are afoot at Turf Moor. Burnley's big move of the transfer window so far has been to oust manager Brian Laws and bring in ex-Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. It could be just what David Edgar has been waiting for. Howe seems to be exactly the kind of manager that Edgar needs: young, ambitious and keen to make the most of what he's got. Best of all, Howe's first order of business is to cast a fresh eye on Burnley's current roster.
"We are going to give everyone a chance to impress and then we will have to make pretty quick decisions and try to move forward," Howe said in his first press conference as Burnley manager. It's music, I'm sure, to David Edgar's ears. The story of Edgar's career has been about waiting for his shot. Fingers crossed this is the one that finally takes.
But before we get too carried away, it's worth nothing that Edgar has seen this before: Brian Laws was a patron of Edgar's early on, giving him a start against Man U in the new manager's first game. And Laws did make some effort to fit Edgar into the squad, even finding an unexpected preseason spot for him at holding midfielder. But that role evaporated, and Edgar has languished on the bench all year.
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The biggest stumbling block in Edgar's career has been the managerial tendency to play him out of position. It's vital for the Canadian that Howe see Edgar for what he is – a solid, stay-at-home centre back – and not what he isn't – the midfield shield or fullback that previous managers have tried to make him.
Most of all, it's incumbent upon Edgar to fully seize this chance – a player can only live on the cusp of the first team for so long. And while he's got some work to do – he'll have stiff competition from Northern Irish international Michael Duff, who impressed in the Clarets' 0-0 draw to QPR, winning a place in the Championship team of the week – there are glimmers of hope. For starters, at 23, Edgar's still got youth on his side. Howe is a young manager (33, although he looks like a 12-year-old) and his eyes are on the long term, which could afford Edgar a decent run and that little bit of room to develop that he's sorely needed. Duff will be hard to beat out for a spot, but he's 32 years old – perhaps not the ideal choice for a team looking to build a new future.
A little long-awaited success for Edgar at the club level would be a boon to Canada, too. Stephen Hart has waited patiently as Edgar turned down international call-ups, saying (as far as we know) that he wanted to establish himself in England first. That phase has dragged on, but Edgar's inclusion in the squad against Ukraine in October of last year showed that there's a spot there for the taking – Canada's defence can't exactly boast an embarrassment of riches. Canada sorely needs players of Edgar's potential to grasp the opportunities they get.
So it's worth keeping a keen eye on Edgar's situation at Burnley, starting with the new manager's first test this Saturday away to Scunthorpe. Here's hoping the new dawn at Turf Moor marks the beginning of bigger things for the kid from Kitchener.