Football has pretty much come full circle for Rob Edwards.
Having kicked off his playing career at the age of 14 among the final batch of ‘graduates’ from the FA’s School at Lilleshall, he is now back among the cream of the English crop, based at St George’s Park as head coach of the country’s Under-16s and assisting Lee Carsley with the Under-20s.
It has been quite a grounding. A fulsome apprenticeship. And one which has perfectly paved the way for Edwards to land his current role helping to develop the potential stars of tomorrow. From there Edwards was handed the opportunity to shadow the Under-16s coach Gareth Taylor, a former Wales team-mate, who now coaches City’s women’s team.
“There were a lot of six day weeks during that year and plenty of evenings as it all snowballed but I loved it,” he recalls. “It was a year of learning, like being a young player all over again picking up as much information as I could, honing my skills and thinking and reflecting about the game.” “From Kevin , Gareth , Scott , who I knew a bit from Manchester City and who started at the same time as me, they were all very supportive.
“There were a few years between my time with the Under-18s and the Under-23s and it was great to return to Wolves, by this time with a very different challenge. “The biggest challenge for me that season, in the nicest possible way, was that a lot of those lads didn’t really want to be there! Edwards didn’t quite finish his first year with the Under-18s as he was called into first team coaching action but there wasn’t half a dramatic finale to his full season with the 23s.Wolves needed a win at Manchester United to effectively clinch the title and promotion from Premier League 2 as it would leave Southampton needing to win their final fixture by double figures.
“We were ahead of United in the league, and had beaten them at Molineux, but they had some fantastic players as has been seen by Mason going on to play for England. Edwards worked closely with Jackett and his assistant Joe Gallen, and would then do the same with Zenga and Lambert, in between the two enjoying his most coveted achievement to date – as interim Head Coach in charge of the first team with assistance from Sellars.
“Then the takeover came, and it was really sad to see Kenny and Joe leave, but the rest of us stayed on to work with Walter, and that was another different experience. “Again, you never want to see anyone leave, and it was a bit of a chaotic time with a lot of changes going on, and all of a sudden I was asked to take the team as interim head coach.
“I think you always have to be honest with it, people respect honesty, and I also had to remember that I was going back to be working with these players as a coach a few days after.” “We got back into it, and a couple of penalty decisions didn’t go our way at 2-1, but we ended the game giving it a right go.
“We all gave it everything, and I was then fortunate to see Nuno and his team at close quarters when I went back with the 23s. By this time of course Edwards had enjoyed a very different sort of managerial experience, with AFC Telford in the National League North. “We also started doing some analysis, and changed it into as much of a professional set-up as we could, but looking back, I think I asked too much of people.
“It showed me that I had made mistakes, but I had learned from them, and I really enjoyed that run-in in particular. Having spent those formative years at Lilleshall, part of a group including Jermain Defoe and Leon Britton, his first opportunity came with Wolves’ weekend opponents Aston Villa. Those early Premier League experiences with Villa were more positive, including one incredible move against Chelsea when Edwards motored from tackling Graeme Le Saux on his own byline to chipping Carlo Cudicini only to see the ball bounce off the crossbar
“I felt I was able to handle myself in that company, although I soon needed reconstructive surgery on that ankle, and when I came back Dave Jones had gone and Glenn Hoddle had come in. “I remember having a really good period alongside Neill Collins when we won a few games in succession but I picked up a knee injury and missed out on the play-offs during Mick’s first season.
That game, just after Christmas on a freezing night at Bloomfield Road, came at the end of a week when Edwards had, with McCarthy’s permission, popped back to the Compton Park training ground for some advice from then physio Steve Kemp. “Do I think about what might have been? Bizarrely I probably have done more recently, but not so much during my career.
One day he would welcome a crack in a club hotseat, wherever that may be, noting not only that some of the game’s highest profile players such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have been given early opportunities, but also other contemporaries such as Lee Johnson, Ricketts, Michael Flynn and Neil Critchley, who worked within Liverpool’s Academy before becoming head coach at Blackpool.
There have been challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Edwards himself missed his first Under-16 training camp in October after being diagnosed with the virus, but he is looking forward to the next camp just before Christmas heading into 2021. “I am getting the chance to work with top staff and top players, and it is up to me to work really hard to make sure I am doing my bit to build good relationships with the clubs and create an environment for the players to feel comfortable and thrive.
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