Rob Edwards to Wolves latest as Middlesbrough release brutally honest statement

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Middlesbrough have agreed terms with Wolverhampton Wanderers and permitted Rob Edwards to speak to the Premier League club. Boro had initially rejected an approach from Wolves , but Edwards made it clear that wanted to discuss the head coach vacancy with his former club.

A club statement was released by the Teeside team two hours before they were due to play Birmingham City in the Championship . That followed their cancellation of Edwards' pre-match press conference , during which he was due to preview their match this weekend.

It was also widely reported that the club's head coach did not lead training on Friday. Saturday's statement was their first response to the developing news.

"Middlesbrough Football Club have, subject to the completion of an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, given head coach Rob Edwards permission to speak to Wolves," it read. "We initially rejected an approach from Wolves on the basis that Rob signed a three-year contract with MFC less than six months ago.

"Following discussions with Rob, we were disappointed to learn that he wanted to speak with Wolves regarding their head coach vacancy. We have now agreed terms with Wolves, subject to the completion of the relevant paperwork.

"First team coaches Adi Viveash and Harry Watling, and Academy manager Craig Liddle, will take charge of team affairs for Saturday's game against Birmingham City at the Riverside." Viveash and Watling both joined Boro after Edwards was appointed this summer, but the trio had not previously worked together.

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Edwards played 111 times for Wolves between 2004 and 2008 before then returning as an Under-18s coach after retiring. He then became a first-team coach and briefly took interim charge for two matches in 2016 before leaving at the end of that season.

After a season managing his hometown club, Telford United, in the National League North, Edwards returned to Wolves as their Under-23s head coach. He then left just over a year later to coach the England Under-16s - before resuming his senior coaching career with Forest Green Rovers in 2021.

Edwards left them after winning League Two in his only season at the club to join Watford . Forest Green's statement confirming his departure said: "We're disappointed that our support, loyalty and honesty towards Rob has been repaid in this way - with negotiations taking place behind our backs.

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"We had no contact from Watford, from whom we might expect less, but in any event, this kind of behaviour gives football a bad name. We thank Rob for all his work at FGR - forgive him the manner of his departure and wish him well."

Watford sacked Edwards after just 11 matches in charge, and their rivals Luton Town appointed him weeks later. They won promotion at the end of that season through the play-offs.

Luton were relegated at the end of their first season in the Premier League and then struggled in the second tier. Edwards left by mutual consent in January, with the team 20th in the table - while they went on to suffer another relegation under his successor, Matt Bloomfield .

Then this summer, Middlesbrough appointed him after sacking former Man Utd player Michael Carrick . Edwards won Championship Manager of the Month for August after winning their first four league matches, and Boro are fourth in the table, but have been victorious in just three of their ten games since the start of September.

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