David Edwards (footballer, Born 1986)
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David Alexander Edwards (born 3 February 1986) is a former professional football player who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Shrewsbury Town. Edwards began his career at hometown club Shrewsbury Town, making his professional debut in 2003. After three full seasons with the team in League Two he moved to
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
of League One in July 2007. Due to Luton's financial situation he moved the following January to
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
for a fee believed to be £675,000. Edwards was part of the Wolves teams that won the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
in 2009 and League One in 2013, and also played three seasons with the club in the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
. He totalled 307 games and 44 goals for the club before transferring to
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
in August 2017. In January 2019, he returned to Shrewsbury and after being released went part-time to join Bala Town in the
Cymru Premier The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. It was found ...
. He was
capped In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the e ...
by the Welsh national team 43 times from 2007 to 2017, scoring three goals. Edwards represented the nation at
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's association football, football ch ...
, in which Wales reached the semi-finals.


Club career


Shrewsbury Town

Born in
Pontesbury Pontesbury ( ) is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, and is approximately eight miles southwest of Shrewsbury. In the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,873 and the parish had a population of 3,227. The village of Minsterley ...
, Shropshire, Edwards started as an apprentice at his hometown club,
Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1886, the club were inaugur ...
, and made his professional debut in the final match of 2002–03 season as an 83rd-minute substitute for Jamie Tolley in a 2–1 defeat at home to
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
on 3 May 2003, as Shrewsbury were relegated from the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
. Shrewsbury secured an instant promotion back to the Football League in 2003–04, though Edwards did not play a large role, making just 16 appearances. Upon the club's return to the Football League, Edwards became a regular first-team player, a role he retained for three successive seasons at
Gay Meadow Gay Meadow was a football ground in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, serving as the home ground of Shrewsbury Town. Located on the banks of the River Severn, it opened in 1910. The ground closed at the end of the 2006-07 Football League seas ...
. Towards the end of the 2006–07 season, Edwards was the subject of transfer speculation, after rejecting an offered extension to his Shrewsbury contract. He was then controversially left out of the play-off final against
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...
by then-manager
Gary Peters Gary Charles Peters (born December 1, 1958) is an American lawyer, politician, and former military officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Michigan, a seat he has hel ...
, despite playing an important role in their run to the final. Shrewsbury lost the match 3–1 at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
and missed out on promotion to League One.


Luton Town

On 26 June 2007, Edwards signed for
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
on a three-year contract. As he was under 24, Shrewsbury commanded a compensation fee to cover his youth development. The eventual fee was agreed at a
tribunal A tribunal, generally, is any person or institution with authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title. For example, an advocate who appears before a court with a singl ...
, but clubs reported differing figures; Luton claiming it was £250,000, with Shrewsbury reporting £250,000 as the initial payment, plus a further £150,000 based on appearances. He made his debut on the opening day of 2007–08, starting in Luton's 2–1 home win over
Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. They were founded in 190 ...
. Edwards scored his first goal for Luton with the equaliser in a 2–1 away defeat to
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...
a week later. Edwards made 19 league appearances for Luton Town in League One and scored four goals. However, the club was struggling financially and were only able to pay their players' weekly wages twice in three months, hence a 10-point deduction. He became linked with
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
teams
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
and
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
after a strong performance in an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
third round match at home to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. Luton accepted a £675,000 offer from
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
.


Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 14 January 2008, Edwards signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Five days after signing, Edwards made a goalscoring debut for the club in a 2–0 win away to Scunthorpe United. However, injuries kept him from playing a regular role in the remainder of the season. He returned fit for the following season, but found new signing David Jones often preferred alongside captain
Karl Henry Karl Levi Daniel Henry (born 26 November 1982) is an English Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Boldmere St. Michaels F.C., Boldmere St. Michaels. Henry was a product of the Stoke City F.C., Stoke City academy who we ...
in central midfield; however, Edwards still started half the season's games as they won promotion to the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
. Following the conclusion of the season, Edwards signed a new three-year contract with the club. The midfielder became a regular in the team after promotion, and contributed the winning goal against
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
in the first home win of the season on 20 September 2009. He suffered ankle ligament damage that December which kept him out for four months, but he recovered to make five appearances in the closing months as the club retained their top-flight status. Edwards' contribution to Wolves in the 2010–11 season was severely hampered by injuries. He signed a new three-year contract with the club, including an option of a one-year extension, and made 12 appearances, scoring once in a 2–1 victory at home to
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
, where he scored past his former Shrewsbury teammate, and lodger,
Joe Hart Charles Joseph John Hart (born 19 April 1987) is an English football pundit and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He began his career at his hometown club Shrewsbury Town in the Football Conference and League Two. In ...
. Edwards suffered two injury setbacks during the 2012–13 season, when he firstly tore his hamstring in December in a 4–1 win away to
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
, and after returning to first-team action, suffered a broken foot in the reverse fixture. Edwards remained with the club after they suffered a second consecutive relegation, scoring nine goals as the team won promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt as League One champions. On 13 June 2014, Edwards signed a new two-year contract with the club. On 8 August 2015, he scored the winning goal in Wolves' first game of the 2015–16 season away to
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
, finishing
Nouha Dicko Nouha Dicko (born 14 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris FC. Born in France, he played for the Mali national team. Early life Dicko was born in Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, a commune in the suburbs o ...
's cross with his hand. Manager
Kenny Jackett Kenneth Francis Jackett (born 5 January 1962) is an English football manager and former player who played for Watford. He was most recently director of football at club Gillingham. A skilful left-footed player, able to play in defence or midf ...
said after the game that the goal was scored by Edwards' hand, albeit not deliberately. Five days later, he signed a one-year contract extension to last until 2017. On 23 January 2016, Edwards broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot during a 1–1 draw away to
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
, ruling him out for three months. He returned to first-team football on 5 April as a 92nd-minute substitute for Joe Mason in a 2–1 win away to
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football leag ...
.


Reading

On 26 August 2017, Edwards signed for fellow Championship club
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported by the ''
Express & Star The ''Express & Star'' is a regional evening newspaper in Britain. Founded in 1889, it is based in Wolverhampton, England, and covers the West Midlands county and Staffordshire. Currently edited by Martin Wright, the ''Express & Star'' publis ...
'' as £1 million. He made his debut as a 63rd-minute substitute for Liam Kelly in a 1–0 defeat at home to Bristol City on 9 September. Edwards scored his first goal for Reading on 26 September in a 2–1 defeat away to
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
. On 3 April 2018 he was sent off for the first time in his 539-game career, after half an hour of a 3–0 loss at
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
.


Return to Shrewsbury Town

Edwards re-signed for League One club Shrewsbury Town on 7 January 2019 on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Four days later he made his second debut in a 3–0 home loss to
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Their home ground is ...
, replacing Oliver Norburn for the final 12 minutes. In his next game on 9 February, he was shown a straight red card for a foul on Chris Lines in a 1–1 draw at Bristol Rovers. Shrewsbury unsuccessfully appealed the dismissal. His season ended in April after six games with an ankle injury in training, and manager Sam Ricketts said that Edwards would improve following a pre-season. On 12 May 2021 it was announced that he would leave Shrewsbury at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.


Bala Town

Following his release from Shrewsbury, Edwards expressed a desire to drop into part-time football. On 10 June 2021, he signed for
Cymru Premier The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. It was found ...
side Bala Town. Edwards made a flying start to his Bala Town career, notching 4 goals in his first 6 Cymru Premier matches and establishing himself as a key player for the Lakesiders. Edwards left Bala Town after two years.


International career

Edwards qualifies for Wales through his father from
Welshpool Welshpool ( ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales, historically in the Historic counties of Wales, county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn. The c ...
. He had previously played for the Wales U17 and U19 teams making his U21 debut against
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
on 16 May 2006. He had been selected for the under-21 squad for an earlier friendly against
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
on 28 February 2006, but missed the match through injury. His first experience with the senior team was under
John Toshack John Benjamin Toshack (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former professional football player and manager. He began his playing career as a teenager with his hometown club Cardiff City, becoming the youngest player to make an appearance for the ...
on 12 September 2007, remaining an unused substitute against
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
. He made his full international debut on 17 November against the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
at the
Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...
as a 37th-minute substitute for
Carl Robinson Carl Philip Robinson (born 13 October 1976) is a Welsh former international footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is currently the assistant coach at Atlanta United FC. Early life Robinson was born and raised in Llandrindod Wells, ...
in a 2–2
UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2008 finals tournament took place between August 2006 and November 2007. Fifty teams were divided into seven groups. In a Round-robin tournament, double round-robin system, each team played against each of the others ...
match. On 10 October 2008, Edwards scored the opening goal in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
, and against
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
on 6 June 2009. He ended the campaign with two goals. Following Wales' disappointing qualifying campaign, he was called up again for 14 November 2009 friendly against Scotland, a 3–0 win, and opened the scoring with a volley from Aaron Ramsey's assist in the 16th minute. He retired from international football on 15 March 2018.


Personal life

Edwards attended Pontesbury's
Mary Webb School and Science College Mary Webb School and Science College is a coeducational secondary school located in Pontesbury, Shropshire, England. Founded in 1957, it was originally titled Pontesbury Secondary Modern School. In 1977, following the abolition of the triparti ...
and shared a house with
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
international Joe Hart during their days at Shrewsbury Town. Edwards still resides in Pontesbury with his wife Emma and their two children. In 2015, Edwards and a friend opened a children's indoor soft play centre in
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
called Little Rascals. In 2017, Edwards launched his charity, The Little Rascals Foundation, aiming to help children with disabilities. The charity launch event, hosted by
Jacqui Oatley Jacqueline Anne Oatley (born 28 December 1974) is an English broadcaster who works as a football commentator for TNT Sports UK and other broadcasters, calling games at the FIFA World Cup, Premier League, FA Women's Super League, UEFA Champions ...
with guest speaker Kit Symons, in the absence of
Wales national football team The Wales national football team () represents Wales in international Association football, football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body for football in Wales. They have been a member of FIFA since ...
manager Chris Coleman, was held at the
New Meadow New Meadow, also known as The Croud Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is a stadium situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, between the districts of Meole Brace and Sutton Farm, and close to the A5. It serves the home grou ...
, the home of Edwards' hometown club Shrewsbury Town, and raised just under £13,000. He was the first active professional footballer to endorse the Offside Trust, founded after the reveal of the
United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal A child sexual abuse scandal involving the abuse of young players at football clubs in the United Kingdom began in mid-November 2016. The revelations began when former professional footballers waived their rights to anonymity and talked publicly a ...
in 2016. Edwards wrote an autobiography, ''Living My Dream'', which was released in December 2017. All proceeds went to his foundation. In December 2021 Edwards, with his ex
Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1886, the club were inaugur ...
teammates Sam Aiston and Gavin Cowan, launched the podcast, In The Stiffs.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Wales score listed first, score column indicates score after each Edwards goal.''


Honours

Shrewsbury Town *
Football Conference The National League of English Football Clubs is a professional Association football, football league in England that consists of 72 teams, divided equally between the National League (division), National League North and National League South ...
play-offs:
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Wolverhampton Wanderers *
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
: 2008–09 *
Football League One The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
: 2013–14


References


External links


Profile
at the Shrewsbury Town F.C. website {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, David 1986 births Living people People from Pontesbury Footballers from Shropshire English men's footballers Welsh men's footballers 21st-century Welsh sportsmen Wales men's youth international footballers Wales men's under-21 international footballers Wales men's international footballers Men's association football midfielders Shrewsbury Town F.C. players Luton Town F.C. players Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Reading F.C. players Bala Town F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players Premier League players UEFA Euro 2016 players English people of Welsh descent Cymru Premier players 21st-century English sportsmen