Wolves chance, non-league test, a title and Premier League promotion: Rob Edwards' coaching journey ahead of Molineux return

Edwards will return to Molineux with Wolves sitting rock bottom of the Premier League, after picking up just two points from their first 11 games.

Although he began his playing career with Aston Villa, it was at Wolves where he enjoyed some of his best days as a player, albeit amid a number of spells on the sidelines. 

In total, Edwards made 111 appearances during his four seasons at Wolves, and worked under the likes of Dave Jones, Glenn Hoddle and Mick McCarthy. 

He left for Blackpool in 2008 and played 26 times in the season Ian Holloway famously led them to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in 2010. 

Edwards, who was also capped 15 times by Wales, featured just twice for Blackpool in the top-flight and spent part of the 2010-11 campaign on loan at Norwich City. 

Injuries continued to set him back, and Edwards took the decision to hang up his boots aged just 30, after a spell at Barnsley, and loan stints at Fleetwood Town and Shrewsbury Town.

Wolves roots

It was immediately clear that Edwards wanted to pursue a coaching career and he had even started his qualifications two years prior to his appointment as under-18s head coach at Wolves. 

"I felt fortunate that I already had a focus, and I knew what I wanted to do next," Edwards later reflected.

Prior to that appointment, Edwards worked a year unpaid, juggling a coaching role with Manchester City's academy and Wolves' under-15 team. 

He was eventually offered the under-14s job at City, but opted for Wolves, after discovering 48 hours later that his application for the under-18s vacancy at Wolves had been accepted. 

Reflecting on that period in 2020, Edwards said: "There were a lot of six day weeks during that year and plenty of evenings as it snowballed, but I loved it.

"Yes, I wasn't getting paid for it, but it certainly wasn't for nothing in the end." 

Edwards left a strong impression during his stint as under-18s boss - inspiring them to a six-game winning run, before teaming up with Scott Sellars to lead the under-19s to glory in the Bitzer Cup in Germany.

Step-up to the first team

A promotion to first-team coach followed, first under Kenny Jackett, and later with Walter Zenga and Paul Lambert at the helm. 

"I see him as having a very good coaching eye. He has got a good demeanour with players and that's a big thing," Jackett said at the time. 

When Zenga was dismissed in October 2016, Edwards stepped into the breach as caretaker manager, overseeing a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers and a 3-2 home defeat to Derby County. 

The managerial vacancy eventually went to Lambert, but Edwards had secretly been harbouring ambitions to one day take centre stage at Molineux. 

"Let's be honest, I couldn't say it at the time as it wasn't about me, but I would have loved to take the job on," he later revealed. 

"It would have been my dream job." 

Tough season in Telford

Instead, Edwards took on his first full-time senior management role at his hometown club AFC Telford United in 2017-18. 

It was a steep learning curve, even if the Bucks did eventually turn the tide by comfortably securing safety with 26 points from his final 13 games. 

Wolves return (again)

Wolves came calling again, and this time, Edwards was working as head coach of the under-23s, where he was also able to work closely with first-team boss Nuno Espirito Santo. 

His one full season culminated in Wolves gaining promotion to the Premier League 2 Division 1 for the first time in their history. 

They achieved it in dramatic style too. Trailing 2-0 to Manchester United, Wolves staged a remarkable late comeback to win 3-2 thanks to Niall Ennis' double and a stoppage-time winner by Sadou Diallo. 

Future club captain Max Kilman worked under Edwards, along with the likes of Pedro Gonçalves and Dion Sanderson. 

Edwards worked as a coach with England Under-20s in 2019 and became head coach of the under-16s the following year, before taking on the reins at Forest Green Rovers in 2021. 

Success in League Two

Forest Green flew out of the traps - emerging victorious in each of his first four games en route to the League Two title. 

He was named the division's Manager of the Month on three occasions and was inevitably crowned Manager of the Year, after leading them to League One for the first time in their history. 

There was not much time to celebrate, as his switch to Championship side Watford generated a great deal of controversy. 

Forest Green accused Watford of holding negotiations behind their back, with Dale Vince launching into a scathing attack on the Hornets' hierarchy. 

"If there is karma in football, we will meet Watford in the Championship in a few years time," the Forest Green owner scoffed. 

Destination... Premier League

Edwards lasted just four months in the job at Vicarage Road, but his abrupt sacking would prove a blessing in disguise. 

Nathan Jones had just taken the Southampton job and Edwards swiftly replaced him in the dugout at Luton Town in November 2022. 

By the end of that season, Edwards was lifting the Championship play-off trophy, after guiding the Hatters to shootout success over Coventry City at Wembley. 

Luton were relegated after just one season, but still received plaudits for their gutsy approach in the top-flight. 

It was a sad end to his stay at Kenilworth Road though, as Edwards departed off the back of a four-match losing streak, which left Luton in 20th-place in the Championship.

They would eventually suffer a second successive relegation, but Edwards bounced back when he was unveiled as Middlesbrough boss in the summer. 

Middlesbrough started the current season with four wins on the spin, which saw Edwards crowned Championship Manager of the Month. 

Boro climbed back into second spot with a 2-1 win over Birmingham City over the weekend, although Edwards was not in the dugout as his Wolves saga rumbled on. 

Now it is set to reach its conclusion and Edwards is finally taking on the "job of his dreams". 

His next task is to dig them out of their nightmare start in the Premier League and lead them away from almost certain relegation.