Ex-Luton chief returns to management after being appointed Middlesbrough boss

Former Luton boss Rob Edwards labelled it a ‘real privilege’ to make his return to management having been named as the new head coach of Championship outfit Middlesbrough this morning.

The 42-year-old had been out of work since January when he left the Hatters following just over two years in charge at Kenilworth Road, leading the club to the Premier League via the Championship play-off final victory over Coventry City at Wembley in May 2023. Following a season in the Premier League in which Edwards almost was able to mastermind a successful battle against relegation, Town dropped back into the second tier having finished in the bottom three.

With hopes of an instant return to the highest tier of English football high, Edwards and Luton struggled massively, as it looked like he was going to leave following a 5-1 thrashing at his new side in November, before a run of four straight defeats saw him leave by mutual consent in January after a 2-1 loss at QPR. The former Forest Green Rovers and Watford manager is now back in work though at the Riverside, as discussing his new role, the former Wales international replacing Michael Carrick in the dug-out, told Boro’s official website: “It’s a real privilege.

"It’s a proud moment for me and my family, and to be given the opportunity to be the head coach at this brilliant football club is something that isn’t lost on me. I know how big a thing this is, how important it is and what this club means to people. I can’t wait to get started now. I’ve always admired this club from afar. A few years back when we went to Luton and came up against Boro, I admired the team and how they played.

"Even going back further and playing against this club, the support and size of the club were obvious. As soon as I knew there was an interest here, it felt instantly that this was the right thing for me. It got me excited again and I feel we’ve got a really good chance here. We have a brilliant owner who historically gives his coaches time, support, and the tools needed to try and be successful. I can’t wait to get started now.”

On what he hopes to bring to the Middlesbrough supporters, Edwards continued: “We want to play with intensity. That’s a non-negotiable. We want to win the ball back double quick. We want to be controlling the game but as far away from our goal as possible. I want shots, I want goals, I want chances, crosses, action. That’s what I want. It’s building on a lot of the good stuff that’s already here. I know we can control the game.

"We want to be able to control it as far away from our goal as possible. We want to be aggressive, we want to be exciting, we want to take risks. We want to be brave. And we want to get that crowd onside and making a hell of a lot of noise for us. We will reward them with good performances and exciting football. I’ve been lucky in the clubs I’ve been at previously, where we started quite quickly and got people onside fast. It’s all well and good talking a good game, but we’ve got to be able to go and deliver that for our amazing fanbase. There will be expectation here and I’m up for that.”

Meanwhile, head of football Kieran Scott added: “Rob is someone who I’ve been aware of for a long time and I’ve followed his development as a coach closely. He made history at Forest Green Rovers, and to win promotion to the Premier League with Luton Town was a fantastic achievement. We had an exciting pool of candidates for this role, but we felt that Rob was the stand-out and were very impressed upon meeting him and listening to him talk about his vision for the club. We’re excited that Rob has agreed to join us and are looking forward to the future.”