Middlesbrough chief drops brutally honest Wolves, Rob Edwards claim | OneFootball

Middlesbrough head of football Kieran Scott has discussed Rob Edwards' decision to leave for Wolves last season.

Middlesbrough head of football Kieran Scott admitted he felt ‘let down’ by Rob Edwards after he left the club for Wolves last season.

The Teesside outfit named Edwards as their new head coach in June 2025, but he had decided to leave by November, after joining Wolves to succeed Vitor Pereira.

Edwards was in charge of just 14 games of Boro, the last of which was a 1-1 draw at Leicester City that left the team third in the table.

So, his decision to depart for a Wolves side that looked destined for relegation did not go down well, even if he had a connection to the club, having played and then worked at Molineux after hanging up his boots.

Kieran Scott discusses Rob Edwards’ move from Middlesbrough to Wolves

Whilst the Middlesbrough fans made their anger clear towards Edwards, the hierarchy at the Riverside Stadium have generally kept quiet on the matter.

Yet, speaking to BBC Tees, Boro’s head of football Scott opened up Edwards’ decision to go, as he admitted he didn’t see it coming.

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“It was a bit of a surprise, I’m not going to lie. I think we gave Rob and his staff a really good opportunity to kick on with us, so to be dealing with a club approaching after, I think, 15 games, 14 games, I mean, there was no desire from us, to be honest, to let him move on.

“Steve and Neil and myself were very strong in that, but Wolves didn’t want to go away. They wanted to keep coming and unfortunately had turned his head.

“I was just thinking we’re not best mates anymore, and he definitely ain’t coming round for tea!

“Yeah, betrayed (is) very strong, I guess. I felt let down because I thought that ultimately the club and Steve and Neil gave him an opportunity as much as I did, but he is someone I’ve worked with and known for a long time.

“I felt that it was a massive opportunity for him at such a big club, and we were ready to back him and really kick on, and, yeah, to lose him that quickly, and in the manner (we did), I wouldn’t say that it was an ideal start to the season.”

Middlesbrough have improved under Kim Hellberg

That was a major disruption for Middlesbrough last year, and Edwards’ departure had the potential to derail their season.

But, to the credit of the board, and Kim Hellberg, the decision to turn to the Swede was an inspired one, and he took over the squad Edwards had built and made them better.

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Now, the days of Edwards will feel like a long time ago, and fans will be delighted that they have Hellberg in charge, as he plays a more attractive style of football, and they will believe promotion to the Premier League is a real possibility this season.

That’s not to downplay Edwards’ start at the Riverside Stadium, but the reality is that it was only 14 games, and there were doubts over whether it was sustainable.

As for Edwards, he may regret leaving Middlesbrough, and certainly the way he did, as it damaged his reputation in the game and he has already left Wolves.