Who is Ronnie Edwards? The young centre-back wanted by Man Utd and recommended by Ferguson

Cameron Smith

Updated: 28 Sep 2021 10:40 CDT
4 min read

Man Utd target Ronnie Edwards playing for Peterborough — © ProShots

Manchester United have reportedly identified Peterborough central defender Ronnie Edwards as a transfer target, and are keen on signing the 18-year-old.

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It comes after recommendations from Sir Alex Ferguson himself who is believed to have "told" the club to sign the defender.

That is according to the Express who have reported that Ferguson has told football director John Murtough to sign him.

Edwards is currently at Peterborough, and is playing under Darren Ferguson, who is, of course, Sir Alex's son. That connection has no doubt helped Edwards massively, but his talent has clearly caught the eye of both Ferguson's.

Despite his young age, Edwards broke into the Peterborough side at the end of the 2020/21 season, and has taken great strides since then.

He is actually a product of the Barnet academy, where he played 2020, upon signing for Peterborough.

While he's now attracted the interest of Man Utd, who is Edwards and what kind of player is he?

What position does Ronnie Edwards play in?

Edwards is a central defender, and only plays there. He could fill in at full-back if needed.

How good is Ronnie Edwards?

At such a young age it's hard to tell just how good Edwards is, but to be 18 and making regular Championship appearances is no mean feat.

It's a hard league, yet Edwards has held his own against older and far more experience centre-forwards. To have been praised by Sir Alex Ferguson is one thing, but for him to have told Man Utd to sign him is a big statement about Edwards' ability.

He made his Peterborough debut aged just 17, and he was called up to an England U19 training camp in early 2021.

Peterborough United director Barry Fry, who is a former Man Utd player himself, told the Peterborough Telegraph this of the talented centre-back: "Ronnie is a Rolls Royce. We knew that when we signed him.

"I used to watch a lot of under 18s football at Barnet as well as Posh and I told the gaffer about him. And when we brought him in for a game Darren watched him for 20 minutes and told me to sign him.

"Spurs were watching him at the time and Brentford were very keen on him. In fact Brentford were so upset when we did the deal they complained to the FA!

"It’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the under 23s at our stadium.

"Ronnie is money in the bank for the club. He’s a certainty to have an outstanding career in the game, but there’s no better place, and no better manager than Darren Ferguson, to help him develop quickly.

"We want to thrive and prosper in the Championship so selling our better players is not an option. A couple of good seasons in the Championship would make him worth £10million to £20million.

"There will become a time when we can’t stand in his way as he’d make life-changing money like Ivan Toney as a Premier League player."

Fry also added what he believes is Edwards' best trait: "He is so calm and composed and his passing is unbelievably accurate." That is vital for a big club, and is no doubt why Man Utd are now so keen on him.

What clubs are interested in Ronnie Edwards?

Man Utd weren't the first team to express an interest in Edwards. As Fry said, the vast majority of Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on him, but it's Tottenham and Brentford who were reportedly the leading contenders thinking of making a bid before Man Utd's interest came about.

Those two sides will now face competition from the Red Devils in a bid for his signature.

When does Ronnie Edwards’ contract expire?

Edwards' current deal at Peterborough doesn't expire until 2025 after he signed an extension in May 2021. He signed his first professional contract with the club in August 2020, and impressed so much that the club tied him down to a long-term deal.