Kieran Brown on how Leeds Knights coach Ryan Aldridge aims to get the best for his players

KIERAN BROWN believes Ryan Aldridge is getting the best out of his Leeds Knights players as they hunt down a successive NIHL National regular season title – even if what he has to say to them at times isn’t necessarily what they always want to hear.
By Phil Harrison
Published 2nd Mar 2024, 07:00 BST
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The Knights head into a weekend that brings a trip to Solway Sharks and a visit from Swindon Wildcats firmly in pole position for the second-tier crown.

A 5-2 home win over Raiders IHC on Sunday coupled with a dramatic late 3-2 defeat for second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning at Telford Tigers left the Knights eight points clear heading into this weekend’s round of games.

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Consistency has been the key for the Knights throughout the 2023-24 campaign, one which has had relatively few low points.

PUSHING HARD: Leeds Knights' head coach Ryan Aldridge has had a positive impact since arriving just over two years ago. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.PUSHING HARD: Leeds Knights' head coach Ryan Aldridge has had a positive impact since arriving just over two years ago. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
PUSHING HARD: Leeds Knights' head coach Ryan Aldridge has had a positive impact since arriving just over two years ago. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

But, even so, head coach Aldridge is rarely one to hold back in post-match interviews when he feels his players are under-performing, the likelihood being that the message inside the locker room at such times will be even stronger.

But Brown - made captain by Aldridge ahead of his first full season in charge - believes his boss’s drive for consistently high standards will only benefit himself and the players around him in the long run.

“He’s not a hard coach to play for, I don’t think,” said Brown. “Ultimately, he just wants the best for us.

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“Yeah, he can get heated at times but he genuinely just wants the best for us, both as a team and as individuals, so you’ve just got to take it on board.

THE BEST OF ME: Leeds Knights' captain Kieran Brown believes he has improved his all-round game under head coach, Ryan Aldridge. Picture: Tony Johnson.THE BEST OF ME: Leeds Knights' captain Kieran Brown believes he has improved his all-round game under head coach, Ryan Aldridge. Picture: Tony Johnson.
THE BEST OF ME: Leeds Knights' captain Kieran Brown believes he has improved his all-round game under head coach, Ryan Aldridge. Picture: Tony Johnson.

“It might not be what you want to hear at times but he genuinely wants the best for you.

“He’s been a massive influence on my career this past couple of years. He came in and I’m not afraid to admit that I wasn’t the best two-way forward.

“But we work on things week-in, week-out and that is what I’m trying to become - a really good two-way player, contributing defensively as well as offensively.

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“He’s been unbelievable towards me since he came here and has helped me on and off the ice.”

Brown believes Aldridge’s coaching style and methods have had a similarly positive effect on those around him, too.

“Everybody in that room feeds off him,” added Brown, who last weekend breached the 50-goal mark for the season, the highest tally in the league. “So whatever he is telling you to do or whatever he is trying to get across to you, you just have to take it on board. What he’s doing here is clearly working.”

Related topics:Kieran BrownLeeds Knights