‘It was mental’ - Dave Edwards on lifestyle change after answering Shrewsbury Town’s call

Dave Edwards has reflected on the dramatic lifestyle change he experienced after answering Shrewsbury Town’s call to step into coaching.

Edwards joined Cowan’s management team in late January as joint assistant and played a key role in helping steer Shrewsbury to safety in League Two.

It has been a rapid adjustment for the 40-year-old, who has since signed a new contract to remain in the role into next season. Previously involved in media work and various business interests, Edwards admitted the switch to full-time coaching came with immediate demands.

“When I spoke to Gavin, and then I spoke to the chairman and the CEO, they were all just incredible in this situation,” he said.

“I kind of gave them my word that I would be all in until the end of the season. I would treat it as this if this was my complete full-time job and everything else that I do becomes secondary - the media work, other businesses I've got.

“They've definitely felt the effects of that, because I've not been able to spend as much time in it, I've not been able to do as much media work. But I said that I would be full on and fully involved.

“I didn't realise how intense it would be though. Especially the first couple weeks, the first couple weeks were mental.

“The days were so long and then after the days had finished it was on the phone to Gavin, it was group messages with him and Jamie, just trying to sort out so much.

“It's not just the training of the players, it's everything. It's everything about the football club - how do we get it right off the pitch as well as on the pitch.

“So that was mental, that was hard, really tough.”

Edwards recalled several late nights at the ground alongside Cowan and fellow assistant Jamie Haynes as they prepared for matches during the early weeks of their reign.

One of those came just days after their appointment, as they prepared for their first game in charge against Barnet on Saturday, January 31.

The night before also coincided with Edwards’ 40th birthday celebrations - something he also celebrated by running the London Marathon for his charity, The Little Rascals Foundation.

He admitted the occasion was overshadowed by work commitments as final preparations for the game continued late into the evening.

He continued: “It was just at the time of my 40th birthday as well. I turned 40 on February 3 and I had a party with some friends over on the Friday night.

“My wife had organised it. We were having some lovely food. But it was the Friday before our first game.

“So she's got all my friends arriving, cooks a stunning meal and I got back at 7pm, rushed through the doors saying ‘I'm really sorry, I’m really sorry I'm late’.

“I quickly ran upstairs, got a shower, and got down just in time for people arriving. But it was just before our first game, so mentally I was still just not quite there.

“So I was very tired after that. It all just went by in a bit of a blur.

“My wife was amazing about it, but I think probably deep within herself she was a bit frustrated that she'd organised this amazing party and gathering and I'd rushed in, quickly showered and so wasn't probably there 100 per cent mentally.

“But then from then on it's been intense, just long days, really long days, and has been hard to fit much else in around it, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

“It's something which needed to be done and that's why I probably feel so much pride in getting it over the line.”