Rob Edwards Stands Down as Middlesbrough Manager Amid Wolves’ Interest

Rob Edwards, a former player, coach, and interim manager for Wolves, has been relieved of his responsibilities ahead of Middlesbrough’s upcoming match against Birmingham. This decision follows Wolves’ expressed interest in appointing him as their new manager.

On Thursday, Middlesbrough rejected an initial approach from Wolves to speak with Edwards. However, he engaged in discussions with the Championship club’s leadership on Friday, resulting in his absence from the customary pre-match press conference and the final training session prior to the game.

It has now been confirmed that Edwards will not manage the team during the home match against Birmingham. He had signed a three-year contract in June to succeed Michael Carrick as Middlesbrough’s manager.

As of this weekend, Middlesbrough is positioned third in the league standings.

Wolves made headlines on Sunday by parting ways with manager Vitor Pereira after a dismal start to the season, which saw the team go ten matches without a victory, leaving them four points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League.

Following Pereira’s dismissal, BBC Sport reported that Edwards emerged as a leading candidate to take over, alongside former manager Gary O’Neil. Wolves initiated talks with O’Neil, but he withdrew from consideration on Monday, ultimately making Edwards the preferred choice.

Edwards, a former defender, made over 100 appearances for Wolves between 2004 and 2008. After retiring from playing in 2013, he transitioned into coaching at the club and briefly served as interim manager in 2016 following Walter Zenga’s departure.

His early coaching experience includes roles at non-league Telford and with the England Under-16 team. In 2021, he became head coach of Forest Green Rovers before moving to Championship side Watford the following year, where he was unfortunately dismissed after just 11 matches.

In November 2022, he took over as Luton Town manager, successfully guiding the team to the Premier League for the first time in its history. However, Luton was relegated from the Premier League in May 2024, and Edwards subsequently departed during the 2024-25 season, with the club facing further relegation to the third tier.