Why Rob Edwards has joined Middlesbrough - He's revealed one key reason | OneFootball

Edwards has been speaking in his first interview as Middlesbrough's new head coach.

Middlesbrough have confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as the club's new head coach.

Announced via the club's website on Tuesday morning, the 42-year-old will now be tasked with leading Boro into a bright and exciting future, after the sacking of former boss Michael Carrick earlier this month.

The 42-year-old is taking his first step back into management after his departure from Luton Town in early January, with the Hatters sitting 20th in the Championship table at the time of his exit.

Edwards will be joined at the Riverside Stadium by former Coventry City assistant manager Adi Viveash, and former Chelsea, Millwall, West Ham, QPR and Rangers coach, Harry Watling.

Rob Edwards reveals key reason behind taking Middlesbrough opportunity

A new chapter in Middlesbrough Football Club's history has begun, as Edwards is finally installed as Boro's new head coach.

The ex-Luton boss knows exactly what it takes to win promotion at EFL level, having guided Forest Green Rovers to the League Two title in 2021/22, before performing his standout achievement of his managerial career to date: winning promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs with the Hatters in 2022/23.

However, after suffering relegation from the top flight in 2023/24, and after a dismal first half of last season that set the club on its collision course for a second consecutive relegation, Edwards will no doubt have needed the time he's taken away from the game in order to process it all.

So, why now? Why Middlesbrough? Well, Edwards has answered those questions.

Speaking in his first interview as Boro boss via the club website, he said: “It felt instantly that this was right for me and it got me excited.

"If I was going to come back in, I wanted to come back in at a place where we had a chance (of winning promotion), and we have a really good chance here."

Rob Edwards is right to feel as though Middlesbrough have a good chance of Premier League promotion

Edwards certainly isn't walking into a dressing room devoid of talent at Middlesbrough.

On the contrary, Boro's squad is laden with highly talented players at Championship level, in what was a group that undoubtedly underperformed their talent level and expectations set for them last season, finishing 10th in the Championship.

Premier League promotion will be the remit for Edwards next season, with a return to the play-offs sure to be the minimum target for the new boss.

He's right to feel good about the club's promotion chances too, as he'll find the core of a very strong team on Teesside, one that with some upgrades in specific parts of the pitch, can be right up there next term.

Edwards has a talented young goalkeeper in Sol Brynn, some proven second tier defenders such as Rav van den Berg, Dael Fry and Darragh Lenihan, and has a superbly talented crop of players through the middle of the park in Hayden Hackney, Aidan Morris and Finn Azaz respectively.

Boro also have some real quality in wide areas, with the likes of Morgan Whittaker and Riley McGree, and at centre-forward, he'll find a 22-year-old Scotland international in Tommy Conway, who has just recorded his best goalscoring season of his career to date with 13 second tier goals in 36 appearances last term.

The club also appears to be in a healthy place financially, after collecting big profits on the recent sales of Emmanuel Latte Lath (£22.5m), as well as Middlesbrough being set for yet another big payday on Morgan Rogers in the near future, after agreeing a 20 per cent sell-on fee in the £16m deal that took him to Aston Villa in February last year.

Therefore, should Edwards be able to make some quality additions to the squad this summer, and have success implementing his style of football at the Riverside, then Boro could be set to blow away the cobwebs of last season, and return to genuine Premier League promotion contention once again in 2025/26.