Following the start of Rob Edwards’ reign as Watford Head Coach, we take a look at some of the stats, facts and figures surrounding his time as both a player and in management.

Playing Career

Before moving to the dugout to take on managerial duties Edwards enjoyed plenty of success as a central defender, during a playing career that lasted over a decade.

236 – career appearances. Edwards featured for Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackpool and more, occasionally taking on the captain’s armband.

15 – caps for Wales. Although born in Telford, Shropshire, Edwards would make several appearances for Cymru. Qualifying through his Welsh parents, the Hornets’ Head Coach made his debut against Azerbaijan in Cardiff during a 4-0 victory in the Euro 2004 qualifiers.

20 years and 3 days – Edwards’ age when he made his debut for Aston Villa. Having spent a few years within the Villans’ academy, the newly-turned 20-year-old was handed his debut by Graham Taylor in a 1-0 home win versus Middlesbrough.

5 – goals scored. Playing in the heart of defence meant that Edwards had limited goalscoring opportunities, but when he got a chance he would be sure to make the most of it. He even notched a late goal against his former club Wolves in 2008 to rescue a point for Blackpool.

111 – appearances for Wolves. Edwards spent four years in Wolverhampton where he would turn out the most times for a single club. He would play under Dave Jones, Glenn Hoddle and Mick McCarthy.

18,818 – minutes played during his career. A long-serving general and a leader on the pitch, Edwards would eventually take the natural step into management after retiring from the game in 2013.

11 – times Edwards was in the same matchday squad as Craig Cathcart. During the 2010/11 season, current Watford defender Cathcart joined Blackpool when Edwards was at the club. However, they were never on the pitch at the same time due to injury and because both players occupied the same position.

10 – occasions that he played against Watford. Edwards featured against the Golden Boys eight times in the league, once in the FA Cup and once in the League Cup. In those 10 matches, Edwards’ teams only won twice – 4-3 for Blackpool in the 2008/09 Championship season and 4-1 for Wolves in the FA Cup in 2007/08. He only featured against Preston North End (11) more than the Hornets.

Managerial Career

As well as enjoying a successful playing spell with teams like Wolves and Blackpool, the new Head Coach has earned a plethora of experience as a boss, including his League Two title-winning season at Forest Green Rovers and within England’s youth set-up.

84 – points at Forest Green Rovers during the 2021/22 campaign. This was the total that secured the EFL League Two title for Rovers. After a blistering season where Edwards’ side only lost twice in their first 32 matches, the Watford boss secured his first silverware as a Head Coach.

19 – clean sheets at Forest Green Rovers. Under Edwards, Rovers would look to gain supremacy using their formation as their starting block. Throughout the whole season, they only conceded 44 goals, placing them fourth-best defensively and second-best for shutouts.

74 – goals scored at Forest Green Rovers. Dynamic, fast and free-flowing football was the order under Edwards, ranking second highest in the league for strikes.

25.8 – average squad age of players featured at Forest Green Rovers. The fourth-youngest squad in the entire league, Edwards made sure to include youth in his plans throughout the title-winning campaign.

19 – players used during the 2021/22 Forest Green Rovers season. The lowest in the entire league, Edwards tended to stick rather than twist during his immensely effective season with the Gloucestershire-based outfit.

1,005 – number of crosses attempted at Forest Green Rovers. A key part of Edwards’ game plan was to get balls into the box to create dangerous opportunities for his strikers to pounce on. This is shown in the highest crossing statistic in League Two during that season.

1 – year as manager of Wolves Under-18s. In his first job in a dugout after hanging up his boots, the Watford boss enjoyed victories over Manchester United and Manchester City as he aided the development of Wolves’ up-and-coming youngsters.

730 – days involved in the senior set-up at Wolves. Following his success in the youth team, Edwards was promoted to a first-team coaching role by Hornets legend Kenny Jackett. Edwards spent 50 games under the Hornets Ambassador’s tutelage, followed by 33 under Paul Lambert and 17 with Walter Zenga.

43 – points with Wolves Under-23s during the 2018/19 season. After a spell as manager of AFC Telford United, Edwards was appointed as Head Coach of Wolves’ Under-23 side. In his first season in charge, he led them to the first division of Premier League 2 – the highest level of youth football in the country – before leaving for a role with the FA.

3 – League Two Manager of the Month awards. During the 2021/22 season with Forest Green Rovers Edwards won the gong in August, November and January. The Watford boss would go on to win Manager of the Year at the end of the season.

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