It will a proud moment for Rob Edwards as he takes his place in the dugout as Wolves Interim Head Coach for tomorrow’s televised Sky Bet Championship fixture at Blackburn Rovers (5.30pm).
But after that all focus is on the 90 minutes to follow, trying to get a result, and not looking too far ahead.
Edwards has vowed that both he and other staff and players will be giving 100 per cent and doing everything they can to put on a positive performance.
“I’ll be really excited," he said.
"There’ll be nerves, it’ll be like making my debut again.
"But my debut went quite well – we won 1-0! So I’ll take the same result.
“There’ll be a lot of emotions going through my head, but pretty much all positive.
“This is, I feel, 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.
“Beyond that I’m hoping we’ll see an identity with what we do without the ball and with the ball. I’m not going to give that away now, but I’m hoping that will be clear.
“The Edwards way is hard-working. We are going to run, we’ll work hard.
“I want to be able to play with the ball and you’ll see an identity – a team that knows what it’s doing with and without the ball.”
Edwards, who has part of the senior coaching staff under both Kenny Jackett and Walter Zenga, having previously worked as Wolves Under-18s manager, is confident Wolves haven’t been too far away this season.
There have been some impressive performances, just without being able to confirm some of them into results.
“I don’t think the team is far away,” he said. “We’ve got some fantastic players.
“Maybe that end result hasn’t quite been there, but the performances have, perhaps more consistently than the results.”
Edwards was asked at the pre-match press conference whether he would be interested in taking the job full-time if it was offered.
Whilst acknowledging he does have long-term aspirations to become a Head Coach or manager, Edwards says he cannot afford to look beyond tomorrow’s game.
"It’s a great opportunity and I will give 100 per cent for however long it goes on for,” he said.
"My instructions are to mind the shop.
“They’ll be looking for their next candidate and me and Scott Sellars will take the team for as long as it takes.
"It’s a big responsibility – but what an opportunity as well.
"To be taking charge of a game is something I’ll be incredibly proud of."
"On top of that I can’t look too far ahead, I genuinely can’t," he said.
"All we’re thinking about is Blackburn Rovers.
“It’ll be an amazing opportunity for whoever gets the job.
"It’s an incredible club with great supporters and a great infrastructure, it’s got everything.
“But I can’t look that far ahead." "For me I’d like to think I’ve got good experience now.
"Of course I’m younger than a lot of managers and head coaches out there, but I’ve played at this level, I know the league, I’ve worked under some fantastic managers and leaders. I’m confident in my own ability to lead the team.
"Are there ambitions of doing it? Yes, I’m not going to lie.
“But that journey could take 10 years or 10 days, I don’t know.
"I think I’m suited to it. There are different types – leaders come in different shapes and forms. I’m reading a good book by Carlo Ancelotti at the moment on leadership. It’s fascinating.
"He’s a quieter man, but there’ll be some who rant and rave, or people who think about it a lot and maybe don’t say as much. I have my own style and hopefully that works, at least for these next few days."
Wolves will be without Joe Mason, who is undergoing a hernia operation which is expected to lead to four weeks on the sidelines.
