March 29, 2024

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Former Nottingham Forest player takes first managers job at Cardiff Met

Cardiff Met manager Christian Edwards at half time. Cardiff Metropolitan University v Connahs Quay in the Nathaniel MG Cup Final at Bryntirion Park on the 6th February 2022. Credit: Lewis Mitchell

Cardiff Met have appointed former Nottingham Forest trainee Ryan Jenkins as their new first-team manager, succeeding Christian Edwards.

Jenkins has been at Cyncoed Campus as a coach for the last seven years as an assistant coach and has also taken charge of the BUCS team.

Following the achievements of the club in recent history under the management of Christian Edwards, Ryan Jenkins was asked if his new role would be under pressure or be a fresh new start. 

“I am incredibly excited and proud as it has been a long time coming,” said Jenkins in an interview with Cardiff Met Sport TV.

“It’s something I have looked to do during my career is to become a manager and to do it this early as well with the full trust from Christian is fantastic.

“The only pressure I have is the badge, I’ll only be a manager here for a short period of time for this football club.

As a long servant to Cardiff Met, Christian Edwards has been influential with their success at the club. Christian has known about Ryan Jenkins from his playing days at Nottingham Forest. 

The former manager and now director of football at the club was always close with the new manager as he had this to say following the arrival of Ryan Jenkins.

Over the last few years, most players have been coached under Ryan Jenkins as Christian Edwards knew the players respected him as a coach. 

He said: “We go back a long way myself and Ryan from the days at Nottingham Forest where we met each other for the first time there.”

“We kept in touch along that journey as I studied at Cardiff Met in 2006 and Ryan was studying at the university as well”.

“Ryan knows Cardiff Met he knows what it’s like to be a student, he knows what it’s like to be a football player and over the last seven years he’s worked alongside me to know what it’s like to become a coach.”

“He has the utmost respect from every single player and everybody associated with the club”.

Cardiff Metropolitan University v Barry Town United in the Nathaniel MG Cup Semi Final at Cyncoed Campus on the 27th November 2021. Credit: Lewis Mitchell

Eliot Evans who has been one of their longest-serving players has been appointed as a new coach at the club. Evans will be a player-coach at the club as the Archer’s winger who helped with the academy system at the university.

Brandon Roberts is one of the players who has been part of the academy system in which Evans would have helped progress the young wingers career.

Following the appointment, Evans said this about taking up the role: “I’ve done my coaching badges and have spent time in the academy for the last few years and it seems to be a good logical progression in my life”.

“It’s a really good opportunity, I wasn’t expecting it at this stage of my career as I still think I’ve got loads of time as a player”.

“I’ll still be playing but I’m not the quickest player so I’m not going to lose much pace but I’d like to think I’ve got a few years left in me.”.

Ryan Jenkins and Eliot Evans’s first game will be against Afan Lido in a friendly on Friday evening.

Pre-season fixtures against Taffs Well, Pontardawe Town, Merthyr Town, Aberystwyth Town, and Penybont will then follow.

Their first game of the league season will be against two-time JD Cymru Premier champions Connah’s Quay Nomads. The Archers had lost to the Nomads in last season’s Nathaniel MG Cup.

Met’s first away trip will be against Aberystwyth Town whose manager Anthony Williams is the former assistant manager of Cardiff Met who had spent just five years at the Archers.

(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)

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