Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has revealed he has spoken to Rob Edwards ahead of his expected appointment at Middlesbrough.
The 42-year-old is set to be named as Michael Carrick’s successor in the coming days. The Teesside-based outfit parted company with the former Manchester United and England midfielder earlier this month following an end-of-season review.
Boro suffered a disappointing campaign which saw them finish 10th, missing out on a place in the play-offs for the second successive season. This spelled the end of Carrick’s near three year stay at the Riverside Stadium, with Edwards almost immediately named the favourite to replace him.
The ex-Watford boss has been out of work since January when he departed Luton Town. Despite a sour end to his time at Kenilworth Road, his time at the Hatters is widely regarded as an overriding success, having guided the club to the top tier for the first time in the Premier League era.
Hendrie Believes Edwards Is Perfect Fit For Middlesbrough
The long-running saga looks to be coming to an end, with Edwards set to land the role. Speaking to Football League World, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes the 42-year-old is the perfect fit for Middlesbrough:
“Does it surprise me that Rob Edwards has landed such a high-profile job? No.
“Do you know what, it doesn’t. I think Rob’s been waiting for something like this to come about. He’s stepped away from Luton, he’s had to have some time on his own and sort of re-establish himself.
“I spoke to him not so long back, and I think he wasn’t in a massive rush to jump straight into a job. Frustration and disappointment of how the season ended last season at Luton, where they declined massively.
“I think he just wanted to have a step back and really find the right job for him, and I think this is a good fit for Rob, and for Boro.”
Writer’s View
It seems as if an announcement regarding Rob Edwards’ appointment at Middlesbrough has been coming for an age and it will be a relief for supporters when it does finally come. It’s now the worst kept secret in football and the only question is why the delay? Still, it looks to be an excellent appointment on paper and one that could galvanise the club. Having already tasted promotion success in the Championship, he will be expected to replicate that on Teesside.
