Wetherby meeting with ex Leeds United boss and a pair of familiar faces for Fleetwood Town loan signing Ryan Edmondson

The following season Grayson's Whites escaped from the division and made it back into the Championship, taking the first step in the club's road back to the Premier League.

Edmondson, now 20, has joined Grayson's Fleetwood Town after a chat in Wetherby convinced the Leeds United striker it was the right place to spend the 2021/22 season on loan.

"When he was at Leeds I was a fan, so I've seen what he's about, the way he works," said Edmondson, who will be eyeing the next campaign as a chance to get back on the right track following a frustrating season at Aberdeen and Northampton Town.

Game time was hard to come by in the Scottish Premiership, while goals were hard to come by for him in a Cobblers side who suffered relegation from League One.

A move to Fleetwood, who will be eyeing the other end of the third-tier table, presents an opportunity to return to the goalscoring exploits that fired Leeds Under 23s to a Professional Development League title. And with his deal at Elland Road due to run out in 2023, a good season would put Edmondson in a better position with regards to his long-term future, wherever that may lie.

With so much at stake, this move needs to be a good one, so it requires trust between the player and his new boss.

"I met [Grayson] over in Wetherby and we had a coffee," said Edmondson.

"He spoke to me about my general life, football experiences, he's been watching me for a while now. He explained he could see the positives in my games at Northampton. Unfortunately it didn't really work out there, with the position they were in it was a bit of a struggle. It didn't really let me express how I play, didn't let me reach my potential.

"He sees the potential I've got as a young player and wants to expose that, show people what I can do. I can't wait to repay him for that, show him, the staff, the fans when they're back in, score a few goals hopefully and see where we end up.

"He's sold the club really well to me, the way he wants to do things, the way he wants to play. It suits me down to a tee. It's a great club, a great family club."

Grayson isn't the only familiar face for Edmondson at Highbury Stadium. In April Fleetwood signed defender Connor Teale and forward Max McMillan, a pair of 18-year-olds from the Leeds youth set-up.

"I've spoken to Macca already," said Edmondson.

"When you come into somewhere new it's always a test for you. Having a couple of friendly faces about does help you settle in quite a lot. I played against Fleetwood last season so I know some faces. Hopefully I can form those relationships with the players and we can get going."