Edwards was appointed as Boro’s new head coach earlier today, having signed a three-year deal to front a new-look backroom team that also features newly-appointed first-team coaches Adi Viveash and Harry Watling.
The 42-year-old boasts a proven track record of winning promotion, having taken Forest Green Rovers into League One for the first time in their history before leading Luton Town into the Premier League via victory in the Championship play-offs.
Edwards was widely praised for his leadership of Luton in the top-flight, with the Hatters making a decent fight of trying to survive before eventually being relegated in 18th position, but his players struggled to reacclimatise to life back in the Championship and he was dismissed in January with his side struggling in 20th position in the second tier.
Luton were eventually relegated, but having performed a footballing miracle by taking the Kenilworth Road club into the top-flight despite having one of the smallest budgets in the division, Edwards would rather reflect on his multiple achievements with the Hatters rather than the unhappy ending to his reign.
“There were reasons for what happened at the end at Luton,” said the Telford-born boss. “It didn’t quite go our way in the last few months. But there aren’t many managers that haven’t had a few bad months or a difficult period.
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“We had to go through that, but before that, we’d had three amazing years. It was three amazing years, then the last few months were quite tough. But in a weird way, I’m glad I got through that and had to handle that situation. It’s going to make me better and stronger going forward.
“Before that, it had been promotion, promotion and an exciting year in the Premier League. But it’s not always going to be plain sailing.
“I’m not saying it’s going to be here either, football can be a bit of a roller-coaster and it certainly was for a couple of years there at Luton. But we know how to get promoted and we know how to get out of the division. We’ve signed a three-year contract, and long term, that’s got to be our aim.”
Boro failed to make the play-offs under Michael Carrick last season, so while Edwards is excited by the quality within the current squad, he accepts there is scope for improvement.
He has already held a series of discussions with Boro’s sporting director, Kieran Scott, and is anticipating some positive movement in the transfer market in the next few weeks.
He will also be holding one-to-one discussions with members of the current squad once they start returning for pre-season tests next Thursday, having identified some key areas where he wants to focus.
“There’s a lot of talent here, and the people that work here have been brilliant too,” he said. “They’ve been so warm. The people who will be working above me, and around me as well, have shown such warmth, so I’m looking forward to working with them. I believe that to have success, you have to have good people around you. We’ve got that.
“I think there’s some areas where we will want to try to make improvements, that’s both with coaching and work on the grass and hopefully we can also make one or two changes in the market to try to make us more competitive.”
The long-term aim is to win promotion, but Edwards accepts he will be re-entering a league that is widely regarded as one of the most competitive in the whole of European football.
“Let’s be honest, in the Championship, there’ll be a number of clubs that believe they should be up there in the Premier League,” he said. “It’s all well and good saying it, we’ve got to deliver it.
“But I think what I’ve got to stress is that that process could take time. Coming here on day one, I don’t want to dampen things down. I want people to believe and I want them to dream. I think that’s important.
“But at the same time, the club finished tenth last season and it is a competitive league. We want to look to improve next year, there’s no doubt about that, and we will see how that progression looks.”
For now, Edwards is simply happy to have his feet under the table after a recruitment process that was threatening to become a drawn-out saga.
“It’s been a couple of days now getting it over the line and getting everything done, but I’m extremely proud and really privileged,” he said. “My family are really proud as well, it’s a really big day for us.
“The process has been great. It’s been thorough, and in the last few days, you’re just desperate to get it over the line and get things done. From knowing there was interest, and there was a chance of getting the job, it’s just been really exciting.
“It’s an amazing football club, a club that when you were on the outside looking in, I’ve just had loads of respect and admiration for. You look at the fanbase, the training ground, the facilities, the stadium and then you’ve got Steve (Gibson) as well, as an owner.
“He’s a huge factor in it as well because historically he’s given people time and support, and I think that’s really important in this game these days. As we all know, it’s very fragile. There’s a lot of factors that make me really excited about it.”
Edwards is looking forward to managing at the Riverside for the first time, with one night at the ground in particular sticking in his mind.
The night after his Luton side booked their place in the play-off final, Edwards travelled to Teesside to watch Boro’s semi-final decider against Coventry City. Things didn’t go to plan for the home side as they lost 1-0, but Edwards was blown away by what he experienced at the Riverside.
“In the last few years, coming up against this football club, you see it and you realise the magnitude of it,” he said. “I came to the semi-final, the night after our one, and I saw the Riverside in a completely different light. I’d never seen it like that before. It was just real passion – I heard it, felt it, and it gave me chills.
“That’s something that will always live me, and that’s something that really attracted me to this place as well. We all want to have that connection with the fans. They’re the most important people at any football club – they’re here long before us and they’ll be here long after us as well. We need to respect that and try to make them proud to support their football club.”
