Leeds Knights head coach Ryan Aldridge commits future to club until summer of 2027

​News that the 45-year-old is sticking around will be greeted by players and fans alike, given the impact he has had since first arriving in West Yorkshire in January 2022 to replace the team’s original coach, Dave Whistle.

After steering the Knights to a fourth-place finish in NIHL National, it was the following season where his impact was greatly felt.

Thanks in part to the key import signings of Grant Cooper and Zach Brooks and, later, Jake Witkowski, Aldridge steered his young team to a league and play-off double, while also finishing runners-up in the NIHL National Cup.

This season also has lots of potential, the Knights currently sitting top of the regular season standings and eight points clear of second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning with just nine games remaining.

Aldridge, formerly a coach at Swindon Wildcats, Bracknell Bees and Basingstoke Bison, has won 101 of the 122 league games he has been in charge for at Leeds, giving him a staggering 82.8 per cent win rate.

“It's been a fantastic experience ever since I first came up here,” said Aldridge. “That first full season was memorable, especially with so little being expected of us at the start of it.

"I feel like we're building something special here in Leeds, it’s a great place to play and the fans are amazing.

"We’re trying to develop as much young talent as we can along the way and I'm keen to stick around to continue the good work that we've achieved here already."