By being appointed Wolves head coach, Rob Edwards’ footballing career has come full circle as he rejoins the club for a fourth time, completing the transition from player to academy coach to interim boss to first-team manager.
It’s been a progression which has taken the Telford-born manager 21 years to achieve, but now he’s in-situ in the Molineux dugout, wolves.co.uk has looked back over Edwards’ Old Gold story.
The Player
Although he began his playing career with Aston Villa – whom he made nine appearances in two years as a senior player – Edwards moved closer to his Telford roots when he moved back up the M6 to join Wolves in the summer of 2004. Back in the Championship under Dave Jones, Edwards was one of five signings the manager made in an attempt to get straight back up to the Premier League, alongside Seyi Olofinjana, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Joachim Bjorklund and Mikkel Bischoff.
Edwards said: “Things were going really well at Aston Villa and I had become a full Wales international, but unfortunately, I got injured. I had two loan spells at Crystal Palace and Derby, but my ankle still wasn’t right, and I needed an operation.
“At that time, David O’Leary was Villa manager and he said he wanted me to move. Stuart Gray was at Wolves and I had a conversation with Stu as he was aware of my situation at Villa and asked if I would be interested.
“There was also interest from Norwich who were in the Premier League, but I was really excited about Wolves, a huge club, and thought they were the right thing for me, so I was really privileged to sign.”
The opening game of the 2004/05 season saw Wolves travel to Stoke City and Edwards was among the substitutes. With Wolves 1-0 down, just after the hour mark Jones looked to the bench and called on Edwards to come in at centre-back in place of fellow new signing Bjorklund, but when Mark Clyde fouled former Old Gold striker Ade Akinbiyi in the box, Stoke added a second from the spot – although Wolves reduced the deficit late on through Kenny Miller, it was too little too late.
Edwards’ performance at the Britannia Stadium was rewarded with a first start a few days later as Wolves hosted Preston North End, but the first 15 minutes could not have gone worse for the team, with the visitors scoring twice. But goals from Leon Clarke and Miller in the second half earned the team a point. That outcome was repeated in Edwards’ next two league games as he played the whole 90 minutes of a goalless stalemate with Leeds United at Molineux and a 1-1 draw away at Burnley.
But after being part of the team which survived a League Cup first round scare away at Rochdale to achieve a first win of the season, Edwards suffered an ankle injury which would see him out of action until the following February.
“My first game was away at Stoke in a 2-1 loss. I came on for about 20 minutes, played another couple of games, but then got injured again and had to have another operation on my ankle which put me out for six months.
“I remember having to mark Ade Akinbiyi from a corner. He shoved me and I must have flew about 10 yards! I said to him ‘I don’t want to fight you, I just want to mark you,’ and we had a bit of a chuckle and it was alright then. A few of the lads knew Ade and told me stories about what he could be like on the pitch, so I didn’t want to get on the wrong side of him!”
Upon his return in a 2-2 draw at home to Gillingham – in which Edwards claimed an assist for Miller’s equaliser – Wolves’ season began to pick up pace. Now with Glenn Hoddle as manager after he replaced Jones in December and sitting in 18th, the defender played almost every minute as the Old Gold went 15 games unbeaten to lift themselves up to ninth by the conclusion of the campaign.
Edwards remained a first-team starter throughout Hoddle’s time in charge at Molineux, racking up 42 appearances during the 2005/06 campaign as Wolves narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs, and although he started Mick McCarthy’s tenure as a regular from the bench, he was soon back to playing the whole 90 minutes as the side claimed a play-off position under ‘Merlin the Magician’.
“Mick was brilliant, and for what he did at that time, it was incredible. Being able to galvanize that squad by bringing in a few experienced heads, as well as some good, young players who went on to become great Wolves names.
“What Mick did was special, and I love his honesty and what he is about, but to play for and my best year came under Glenn. I know a lot of Wolves fans don’t really get it, but if you ask players from that time, he was something else – he was 10 years ahead of his time.
“The problem was we drew too many games which we should have won, and the fans didn’t take to him. Glenn was the best tactically in terms of setting his team out, but Mick’s man management and getting the best out of people was great.”
However, injury struck again in his third year at Molineux, as Edwards missed the final months of that push to the play-offs after suffering knee ligament damage, which meant he missed the post-season defeat to West Bromwich Albion. Following a swift return a few months later, which saw him come of the bench in the opening day defeat at home to Watford, the defender’s knee issues raised their head again – this time in a reserve match – which led to Edwards spending the next four months on sidelines.
“I had a good two-year spell in Glenn Hoddle’s last year and Mick McCarthy’s first year before injuries started coming back again. One of my best spells came alongside Neil Collins after a game against Norwich where Gary Breen and Jackie McNamara got sent off.
“We got in a bit of form and I remember beating Leeds 1-0 at home – I hit the woodwork twice in that game! I also had a really good game against Leicester at Molineux when we drew 0-0 at home and almost scored and overhead kick, which would have been a really good goal. Thinking about it, I was just very unlucky to not actually score more.”
Edwards was in and out of the team as McCarthy eased him back in after his second knee injury, but that didn’t stop him from scoring his one and only goal in gold and black during a 4-2 defeat to Stoke at Molineux in February 2008. Although he may have been at fault for Stoke’s opener, Edwards redeemed himself in front of the South Bank as Andy Keogh’s cross was put back into the danger zone and the defender diverted the ball into the back of the net to put his side back on level terms.
“I only ever scored the once and I must be the only Wolves player to have scored a better own goal than a one in the right net! My only goal came against Stoke when I got the equaliser after Rory Delap scored.
“It was a bit of a thrilling game really. After I tapped the ball in from a few yards out, we found ourselves 3-2 down, and I remember getting a proper elbow in the head, I went down. Penalty. Nailed on.
“The referee and linesman saw it, but they didn’t give it as they thought I’d dived! Stoke then broke and Ricardo Fuller made it 4-2 when we should have had the chance to make it 3-3.”
That goal proved to be Edwards’ swansong as a Wolves player. He made just one more appearance before the end of the season, finishing on 111 total outings, before leaving the club in August 2008 to join Blackpool, who he helped earn promotion into the Premier League.
The Under-18s
Although Edwards would go on to represent Norwich City, Barnsley, Fleetwood Town and Shrewsbury Town over the next five years, injuries eventually caught up with the defender and he announced his retirement as a professional footballer at the age of 30.
But knowing his impact on the pitch was approaching the end, during the later years of his career, Edwards spent time developing his influence off it, as he returned to Wolverhampton to learn under the coaches within the Old Gold’s academy. Brought back to Wolves by then-Academy manager Gareth Prosser, Edwards started out working with the under-15s and would go on to be appointed as the club’s under-18 manager the following season, taking over from Mick Halsall.
During his season in charge of the under-18s, where he also worked closely with under-23 boss Scott Sellars, Edwards helped develop the likes of Harry Burgoyne, Aaron Hayden, Connor Ronan, Bright Enobakhare and Niall Ennis.
Results-wise, the under-18s experienced an indifferent start to the campaign but came on leaps and bounds throughout the season. What began with a 5-3 defeat in the pouring rain, the season also involved a six-game winning run featuring victories over Manchester City and Manchester United, before ending with Edwards and Sellars joining forces to lead an under-19 side to victory in the ‘Bitzer Cup’ in Germany.
Wolves impressively reached the final without conceding. A 0-0 draw against Ajax Cape Town in the final group game saw Wolves make the semis as group winners, before beating Red Star Belgrade 2-0 to reach the final thanks to a brace from Ronan, with Jordan Graham – who was named player of the tournament – assisting in both goals.
In the final, the side defeated Mexican outfit Chivas Guadalajara 5-4 on spot-kicks, with goalkeeper Burgoyne finishing the hero after making the crucial save in the shootout.
Talking at the time, Edwards said: “It's my first full-time position in coaching and from a personal point of view, I wanted to get involved straight away. I got to know the lads fairly quickly, and discovered they're a really good group of hard-working young players who are competitive and want to impress. They all wanted to show me they wanted to be playing and they wanted chances at under-21 level as well.
“It's been a really enjoyable season with a fair few highlights. The last-minute winner in the FA Youth Cup at Rotherham when Jesse Devers scored for one, even the next round at Tottenham – although we lost – was a really high-level game and a proper game. Spurs got to the semi-finals and pushed Chelsea, and we were close to them.
“Going eight games unbeaten towards the end of the season, and winning six in a row, that was fantastic and then finishing off working with Scott with the under-19 group which won the tournament in Germany. The best thing has been the way everyone has applied themselves.”
The Assistant
Already showing his potential as a coach, during the final two months of the 2014/15 season – alongside his role with the under-18s – Edwards was promoted to the first-team staff as he assisted head coach Kenny Jackett as Wolves once again missed out on the Championship play-offs on goal difference, before taking on the permanent role of first-team coach during the summer of 2015.
Although the team got off to a positive start, winning 2-1 away at Blackburn Rovers on opening day, the year ended up being full of inconsistencies. A run of wins would be followed by a run of defeats and a run of draws. While the sale of top scorer Benik Afobe to Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth in the January transfer window had an impact on results, with Wolves not winning seven league games in a row between mid-January and late February.
In the closing months of the campaign, the team rallied, with wins over Bristol City, MK Dons and Sheffield Wednesday, to finish 14th.
“I have loved it and it has been really interesting,” he told wolves.co.uk at the end of his first season as first-team coach. “To learn from Ken and Joe [Gallen], with the vast experience they have got, has been of great value to me and in my career. It has been an incredible journey, one that I am really enjoying.
“There have been frustrations at times like there is in any job in football because it is all about winning games. But I love that pressure to it – you get involved in football because you want to win.
“Let’s be honest it has been difficult at times – we have lost some key players through injury and then others moving on to pastures new. The great thing is that we have given the younger players an opportunity and some of them have taken it really well.
“It has been difficult at times to get a consistent level like we did towards the end of last season when we took 30 points from the last 15 games which was promotion form. We were on a roll – and very nearly got there.
“This season has been really interesting, hard at times, but then you get a last-minute equaliser it gives you real hope and a sense of pleasure. All that builds confidence, which comes from working really hard and achieving things.”
A few weeks later, Fosun came into Wolves to complete a takeover, bringing in new head coach Walter Zenga, However, Edwards remained at the club to work alongside the former Italian international goalkeeper.
Zenga’s Molineux reign started brightly, with Wolves undefeated in their first four matches of the 2016/17 Championship season. A 2-2 draw with Rotherham United was followed up by victory over Reading at Molineux, a point at home to Ipswich Town and a win on the road against Birmingham City.
“It all happened really quickly in the summer with the takeover and then the changing in the coaching team with Walter, Stefano and Andrea coming in. Then there was an influx of players before the transfer window closed. There was a lot to adjust to really quickly and things will take time but I think it has gone pretty well so far.
“Results have been slightly up and down but that is probably to be expected with such a large number of new players and the Championship being so tough and unpredictable. From my point of view it has been really good to work with another head coach in Walter in terms of seeing how he wants to do things and how he manages people.
“I feel I have been really involved and can try and make as much of an impact as I can. During the games I have been working with Walter to get instructions onto the pitch quickly. He will talk to both Stefano and myself during the games to bounce things off us as he makes his decisions as we all see different things.
“It has been great to be more involved in a matchday from a personal point of view rather than being sat in the stands – it looks a bit easier from up there! When you are down there at ground level it feels more real, and I had missed that if I am being honest.
“But it’s not about me – it is about supporting the head coach and whatever he wants me to do. If that is getting up and shouting instructions or encouraging the players then that is what I will do or if it is up to me to sit there and watch from afar then I will do that. The training has been really interesting as it has been different and I have been able to pick up different things.”
However, just two wins in the next 10, with those coming in the north east against Newcastle United and back at Molineux against Brentford, Zenga and his staff departed the club, while Edwards remained.
The Interim
As the most senior coach at the club following the departure of Walter Zenga in late October 2016, Edwards was put in temporary charge of the first-team, as the former Wales international was named interim head coach.
His first match as the acting Old Gold boss was up in Lancashire as Wolves travelled to face Blackburn Rovers. Working again alongside Sellars, who stepped up from his under-23 head coaches role to assist Edwards at Ewood Park, the chance to manage the club was one he was looking forward to.
“I’ll be really excited," he told wolves.co.uk ahead of the visit to Blackburn. “There’ll be nerves, it’ll be like making my debut again. There’ll be a lot of emotions going through my head, but pretty much all positive.
“This is my club. I played here, I’ve been youth team and first-team coach. Now to be interim head coach is something I’m really proud of. I’ll be giving it my all. They’ll get 100 per cent from me and the staff and we want the same in return.
“And I want to excite the fans. I want them to come back down the M6 thinking, ‘Wow, what a performance, they really worked hard for the club today’. I want them to feel proud of the team when they go home. We will run, the players will work for the shirt and each other and give 100 per cent.”
That is what he got from the team in return. Although Sam Gallagher's early volley put Blackburn ahead at the break, Dave Edwards headed in Matt Doherty’s cross to level and earn the side a first point in three outings.
After falling behind, Wolves looked bright under Edwards, and could have levelled through his namesake midfielder as well as Conor Coady ahead of half-time, with both players missing chances. While goalkeeper Andy Lonergan denied Gallagher a second goal just before Edwards’ finish, ensuring Wolves remained above the bottom three.
Following full-time, Edwards hailed the spirit and commitment of his players as they hit back to claim a draw from the televised clash, saying: “I said to the lads after the game that they gave us everything.
“It was a tight game, a bit like basketball at times, and while we wanted to win the game and were still trying to win the game we will take a point, especially having been 1-0 down. Some of the patterns of play involving our full backs and midfielders were another positive as well.
“In terms of work rate, commitment and spirit the players were excellent. We created a lot of chances throughout the game and it was great to get that goal. I was pleased for the players because they have reacted really well this week. They have taken on some new messages and have been focused and I am proud of how they have responded.”
Paul Lambert was appointed Wolves’ new head coach on 5th November – the morning of Wolves’ Championship clash against Derby County – meaning Edwards was given a second bite of the cherry as he had the opportunity to lead Wolves out at Molineux for the first time.
However, similar to his first Molineux game as a player, the visitors took a two goal lead inside the opening 15 minutes. Tom Ince – son of Edwards’ former Wolves teammate Paul – opened the scoring before adding his second late in the second half to give Derby a 3-1 lead.
Helder Costa had pulled one back for the hosts just after the break, before Dave Edwards scored his second in two games to make it 3-2, but there was to be no late miracle, condemning Wolves to defeat at Molineux.
“I was proud of the second half – that was how I wanted the team to play,” Edwards said after the final whistle. “Their spirit, the endeavour, and at times the quality, was all there. It was just a shame we didn’t see that in the first half because going a couple goals down gave us a mountain to climb.
“I was just firm with the lads at half time, telling them to keep believing. I told them that somewhere in the country a team would come back from 2-0 down – let’s try and make that is. We gave it a real go, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“The lads gave it everything in the second half and we got back into it and the place was rocking but it was then frustrating to concede again. I can’t fault the lads’ attitude and commitment and was pleased with how they responded in the second half.”
Despite the appointment of Lambert, Edwards remained with the club as he reverted to his previous role as first-team coach until the conclusion of the 2016/17 season. Although results were mixed to begin with, Lambert and his staff were able to get a song out of the players in the March and April, as Wolves put together a run of five wins on the bounce to lift themselves out of any relegation danger.
However, at the end of the season, and after four years back at Wolves, Edwards departed the club, taking over at hometown side AFC Telford United.
The Under-23s
After a year at Telford, Edwards was soon back at Compton Park, as he was appointed head coach of Wolves’ under-23 side, taking over from Sellars who took on the role of head of academy player development.
Taking part in Premier League 2 Division 2, the under-23s were battling for promotion into the top flight of English youth football – something the team had never achieved before, and with Edwards at the helm, spirits were high in the academy camp.
After a 2-2 draw with Reading, Wolves displayed just what they were going to be under the former interim boss, by hammering West Bromwich Albion 4-1 in a Black Country derby at Telford’s New Bucks Head. A brace from Benny Ashley-Seal, and a goal apiece from Ryan Giles and Pedro Goncalves gave the Old Gold a big lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Wins against Newcastle United, Norwich City and a 7-0 battering of Sunderland ensured the team got off to the best of starts under Edwards, with several of the young stars developing into promising future talent under the coach’s guidance.
With Goncalves, Giles and Ashley-Seal shining, Edwards also helped bring through the likes of Dion Sanderson, Cameron John, Lewis Richards, Elliot Watt, Taylor Perry, Luke Cundle and Niall Ennis, while also playing a part in turning Maximilian Kilman from a non-league left-back into a player fit for the Premier League.
As the under-23s entered the new year, Wolves were pushing high at the summit of the Division 2 table, thanks to further wins against Manchester United – in which Ennis produced a stunning strike at Molineux – Sunderland and West Brom.
With the season entering crunch-time, Edwards told wolves.co.uk: “We’re really pleased. It’s a seven-game shoot-out now as it’s extremely tight and it’s all to play for. Three teams are tied on 30 points, and there’s still several teams who are within a game or two.
“It’s very tight, but that’s good. The lads look at that as well as see all their hard work and effort so far in the league is being rewarded with being top of the league.
“Our job is, although it’s great to win, we’ve got to try and get players through and get the boys involved in the first-team and the training and the set-up. That’s out remit and that’s the most important thing.
“The lads have been very consistent, putting in good performances all season, but we’ve got to rest up, recover, and get focused and ready for a real big push in the league.”
With just a few games of the season remaining, a big 3-1 win over fellow promotion chasers Southampton – in which Ennis bagged a brace – opened up a gap at the top of the table, but defeats to Newcastle and Aston Villa meant everything was to play for in the final two matches with the Saints back on top.
But thanks to a 2-1 win over Stoke, in which Edwards’ young side were not at their best but showed their fighting spirit, and Southampton’s 1-1 draw away at West Brom, ensured the league title would go down to a final shootout.
In what was one of the matches of an incredible 2018/19 season for the 23s – backed by 350 travelling Old Gold supporters – Wolves completed an unbelievable comeback to all-but secure promotion to Division 1 and being crowned champions.
Edwards’ valiant side produced a stunning fightback in the final 10 minutes as they came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 away at Manchester United.
Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes looked to have secured the win for the hosts inside the first hour but an own goal and strikes from Ennis and Sadou Diallo earned Wolves a miraculous victory in the north west.
Five days later, Southampton managed to win 5-1 against Sunderland, but that wasn’t enough to snatch the title from Edwards’ boys.
“It was probably one of the best feelings in 20 years of professional football that I’ve had. It was amazing, I felt so proud of the boys. We hadn’t come back from 2-0 down this year and you worry because you’re up against United who possibly have the best team when all of their players are out playing.
“During those last 25 minutes the lads ran over them and it was one-way traffic. You’re obviously taking a risk because United have some real qualities and are a danger on the break, with quick free-kicks and are clever in their play, but our lads found a way.
“Obviously, you don’t win the league on the last game, you do it because of the previous 21 games. The lads have been the most consistent team; Southampton and Reading have both ran us very close, and it just came down to goal difference in the end. To win the final two games, needing us to score late goals to win both of those games shows a lot of character and should give the lads a lot of belief going forwards.
“It’s been pretty successful. We’ve had five players making debuts in the cup games, we’ve had two or three lads get on the bench in the matchday squad in the Premier League, and first and foremost that must be the remit.
“There’s been a good core group of players who’ve trained constantly in and around the first-team group for large parts of the week, throughout every week of the season, which has been really good for their development. There are still a couple of games left for the first-team, which we have to be prepared for, and we’ve got to a tour away in Hong Kong, so the season’s not over yet, but it’s been more than a good year.”
After their domestic success and a first ever promotion to Premier League 2 Division 1, Edwards also led the under-23s to international success in the summer by lifting silverware in the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens in Hong Kong.
Edwards’ stock as a coach, especially with the way he was developing young talent at Wolves, was recognised by the FA who offered the then-38-year old a role within the England youth set-up in September 2020, with the coach working with the under-20s before being appointed under-16 head coach.
The Manager
His experiences with Wolves, Telford and the FA set Edwards up for a first job in the EFL, as he joined Forest Green Rovers in May 2021. In his first month as head coach, Edwards won four of his first five matches, being rewarded with the League Two Manager of the Month award. He won the award for a second time in November following three wins from three, before completing the hat-trick in January 2022 after picking up 14 points from six matches.
Guiding Forest Green to promotion, Edwards was named League Two Manager of the Season, earning a move to Championship outfit Watford, before joining Luton Town in November 2022. In his first season in the second tier, the Welshman led Luton to an incredible promotion to the Premier League via the play-off final against Coventry City.
With a difficult task of keeping the Bedfordshire minnows in the top flight, Edwards’ side picked up some outstanding results with the Hatters, but despite finishing above the likes of Premier League regulars Burnley and Sheffield United, an 18th place finish meant Luton were relegated after their first ever season in the competition.
After remaining with Luton following their drop back into the Championship, Edwards switched to Middlesbrough prior to the start of this season, with the former defender having an instant impact on the team.
In his first 11 games in charge at the Riverside, Boro picked up 25 points, thanks to wins over Swansea City, Millwall, Norwich City, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town and Shefield Wednesday.
But he now returns to the Premier League. He’s back at the club in which he made more than 100 appearances as a player and countless games as a coach at all levels. After having a taste of it back in 2016, Edwards is back in the dugout at Molineux permanently, but faces one of the most difficult tasks of his coaching career to date if he is to turn Wolves’ 2025/26 Premier League season around.
