Eddo's Farewell

With the dust now settled on his move to Sky Bet Championship side Reading, Dave Edwards has reflected on his time at Wolves with great pride and is thankful for his nine-and-a-half years with the club.

The midfielder made his Royals move in the final week of the transfer window after a lengthy spell at Molineux where he made 307 appearances across 11 seasons.

And, having joined up with the Welsh squad for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Austria, Edwards took a moment to look back over his time in the West Midlands. 

He said: “I think, now it’s a few days further on, and having a few more days to reflect on it, I really am looking back over the last ten years with a lot of pride.

“I’m really happy with how my career went at Wolves even thought it was up and down at times. 

“My overriding emotion now is definitely one of gratitude and happiness with how it went.

“You don’t often stay at a club for that long and, right from the very first moment I joined, I was welcomed with open arms.

“Over the nine-and-a-half years I’ve built up some amazing relationships and I’m ever-so-proud to have played for a club of Wolves’ size and stature for that long, in an era when that doesn’t really happen.

“Hopefully I’ll be remembered fondly but I owe a lot to Wolves for what they’ve done for me and my family over my time there.

“The club’s shown me loyalty in my career while I’ve had injuries etc. Managers, owners and staff have always backed me and given me new contracts through difficult times.

“I owe Wolves a lot and I’m glad I was here to repay them with my loyalty.

“It’s a shame that it ended like it did in a situation where it was all done so quickly but the club’s going in a new direction and I honestly think that it’s going to be very successful.

“The new Head Coach is very good and the owners are going to be a huge success as well. With that comes new faces and, unfortunately for me, I didn’t fit the bill.

“It was a chance to go to another team who have an equal ambition to try and get to the Premier League.

“Reading had such a good year last season and I am really excited to join them.

“Maybe I needed a new challenge to try and freshen up a little bit and now I’m looking forward to getting back from the international break, joining up with Reading and starting a new journey.

“I still think the best years of my career are to come. I feel as fit as I have done since I was 17 or 18-years-old.

“My body’s in really good shape, I’ve played a lot of matches over the last few years and I feel like I’m coming to period in my career when I can hopefully be really successful and score a lot more goals.”

After joining the club from Luton Town in 2008, Edwards has featured for Wolves in the Premier  League, the Sky Bet Championship and Sky Bet League 1; seeing two promotions, two relegations and, including last year’s caretaker spell of Rob Edwards, playing under nine different Managers and Head Coaches.

But it has been his most recent of years at Molineux that the 31-year-old has enjoyed the most.

“As good as it was playing in the Premier League, I struggled with injuries and other things,” he explained before adding: “So I think the last three or four years, from the end of the League 1 season and into the following Championship seasons has been my favourite time.

“That’s the period where I think personally I’ve been most consistent, I’ve played the most football and scored the most goals.

“Also, it’s been a time where my young family have been able to watch me play. My little girl isn’t the biggest football fan but my young boy has been coming to all the games.

“To be able to share those memories with him and the rest of my family has been one of the best parts.”

And the midfielder didn’t have to look back very far to recall his fondest single memory in gold and black.

He said: “The one specific moment that stands out for me was earlier this year when we played Liverpool in the FA Cup.”

“I was captain on the day and I remember standing in the tunnel at Anfield.

“I’ve played there before and it’s always a special moment when you’re waiting to hear ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

“On this occasion I was stood in the tunnel with a young mascot next to me, I think his name was Fletcher if I remember rightly.

“We were chatting and you could just hear the 9,000 Wolves fans singing the ‘We’ve Got Edwards’ song. It was echoing down the tunnel.

“For me to be stood there, hearing that, with the captain’s armband, about to walk out in front of 55,000 people was really magical.  

“To then earn a 2-1 win, a famous Wolves victory, was really special.”

Since it was announced that Edwards would be leaving the club to join Reading, supporters have taken to social media to thank the midfielder for his efforts while at the club and wish him well for his future career.

And the Wales international revealed how he has been truly overwhelmed by the volume of well wishes he has received.

“It’s been overwhelming the amount of messages of support I’ve had and the good luck messages, both from Wolves and Reading fans,” explained Edwards.

“Particularly the Wolves fans – I’m really happy with the tone of the messages in terms of them being grateful for the loyalty I’ve shown for the club and how hard I’ve worked.

“I’ve always said that I don’t have a problem with anybody questioning my footballing ability, that’s their prerogative.

“As long as they know that I’ve genuinely put in my absolute all and everything that I can control my side in terms of effort and discipline.

“Going out of my way to help the football club whether that be on the pitch, off the pitch, in the community or in any way possible.

“I’ve always done that and I think, from the messages I received, the fans understood how much I did give and that’s all I can ask for.”