Millwall are set to bring the race to succeed Gary Rowett to an end by naming Joe Edwards as their new manager, according to South London News.
The Championship side have been taking their time in naming a permanent replacement for the outgoing 49-year-old, with several candidates having gone through the interview process. It was reported on Friday that the Lions were hoping to make a decision before next weekend’s clash with basement club Sheffield Wednesday and former Southampton and Luton Town boss Nathan Jones was the frontrunner.
Ex-Rangers manager Michael Beale and interim gaffer Adam Barrett were also said to be under consideration, whilst the Daily Mail first broke the news that the London-based club were keen to speak to England under-20 head coach Joe Edwards.
It now looks as if the 37-year-old has won the race, in what would be his first step into club football as the lead man. He was previously assistant manager at Chelsea under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel, having made his way up the coaching ranks at Stamford Bridge. His previous roles at the club included managing the under-18 team.
The highly rated coach only took over the under-20 role for the national team in August, where he has overseen just two games. Both fixtures ended in defeat however, with losses to Romania and Portugal last month.
It is claimed that an announcement will be made within the next couple of days and could be as early as tomorrow. Millwall will be hoping Edwards will hit the ground running against the relegation favourites next week, having slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton yesterday. It was a result which extended their winless run to five and they currently sit 18th in the table.
Writer’s View
This is an appointment which comes with a degree of risk, although Millwall are clearly looking at the long-term picture. Edwards is considered to be one of the best young coaches in English football and that will have been taken into consideration during the search process.
There is a high probability that a number of clubs would have been watching his progress with a keen eye, something the Lions would have been well aware of. It’s a bold move, but one that the Londoner’s will be hoping pays off in dividends.
Head of Writing
