Skipper scope: Joe Edwards
Ahead of Blues' match against Plymouth Argyle in the Sky Bet Championship, BCFC.com has charted the career of the opposition's captain.
Joe Edwards has enjoyed quite the journey since joining the Pilgrims in the Summer of 2019. Arriving as Ryan Lowe’s first signing, the Gloucester-born player has become a nucleus in two promotions for the Devonshire outfit, earning himself the 2020/21 Player of the Season prize. Now proudly donning the armband, the 33-year-old will lead his team out on the South Coast to host Birmingham City on Saturday 23 December, kick-off 3pm.
Having spent time as an academy product in the West Midlands with Blues’ fierce rivals, it was Bristol City who invested in the Englishman’s talent from the age of 10. In April 2009, the Robins awarded the youth graduate his first professional contract, however, the remainder of his stay at Ashton Gate was predominantly made up of loan spells. He made nine appearances for Bath City during 2010/11, including a first in the FA Cup before being summoned back to Severnside early owing to an injury crisis. The rest of the campaign was mostly spent on the bench, although his full debut did arrive in the final Championship game of the season, playing the entire 90 minutes of a 3-0 home win over Hull City.
These contributions saw his contract extended a further year, but this was again spent away from the club, this time at Stockport County. Edwards played 11 times for the Edgeley Park outfit ahead of his parent club opting to switch his allegiances to Yeovil Town at the beginning of 2012. The full-back became Gary Johnson’s first signing in the Huish Park hot seat and Edwards made a dream start, scoring his first goal as a pro on his Glovers debut. Despite suffering injury, Johnson hoped to re-sign him upon full recovery.
Yeovil honoured their manager’s intentions by offering Edwards a second loan spell in September 2012, which was made permanent the following January, and come the end of the season saw Town qualify for the League One play-offs. Now operating as a midfielder, Edwards helped his team overcome a 0-1 deficit away to Sheffield United, beating the Blades 2-0 in the return home fixture to send them into the final. He played the full match at Wembley Stadium, beating Brentford 2-1 to earn promotion to English football’s second tier for the first time in Yeovil’s history. Their time in the Championship was shortlived, suffering immediate relegation, but not without Edwards chalking up 50 appearances across the campaign.
He was given his first opportunity as skipper ahead of 2014/15, with the magic of the FA Cup producing a glamour tie against Manchester United at Huish Park. With the club struggling, Johnson was dismissed as manager and replaced by Terry Skiverton, but the new head coach was without his captain following an ankle injury which consigned Edwards to the sideline. By the time he returned to action, Yeovil’s fate had already been sealed, with relegation guaranteed and a new manager, Paul Sturrock, in place. After making 132 appearances, including his loan spells, Edwards decided to move on in the close season.
Colchester United became his next home, signing on a free transfer following a summer of maintaining fitness, and training with former manager, Johnson, who had since taken charge of Cheltenham Town. Unfortunately, that term resulted in successive career relegations for Edwards, with the U’s sinking into League Two. In June 2016, he signed for Walsall where his luck started to improve. Back in the West Midlands for the first time in 15 years, he recorded his most prolific season for the Saddlers in 2017/18, tallying seven goals across 30 league games. He struggled to repeat these standards the following year as Walsall dropped into League Two at the end of 2018/19. After being released, he was soon snapped up by his current club Plymouth, who had also been relegated to the division that same year.
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