Christian Edwards

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Christian Edwards

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|11|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Caerphilly, Wales

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1994–1998

| years2 = 1998–2003

| years3 = 1998–1999

| years4 = 2000

| years5 = 2001–2002

| years6 = 2002

| years7 = 2003

| years8 = 2003–2006

| years9 = 2005

| years10 = 2006–2007

| years11 = 2007–2011

| clubs1 = Swansea City

| clubs2 = Nottingham Forest

| clubs3 = → Bristol City (loan)

| clubs4 = → Oxford United (loan)

| clubs5 = → Crystal Palace (loan)

| clubs6 = → Tranmere Rovers (loan)

| clubs7 = → Oxford United (loan)

| clubs8 = Bristol Rovers

| clubs9 = → Swansea City (loan)

| clubs10 = Forest Green Rovers

| clubs11 = Aberystwyth Town

| caps1 = 112

| caps2 = 54

| caps3 = 3

| caps4 = 5

| caps5 = 9

| caps6 = 12

| caps7 = 6

| caps8 = 99

| caps9 = 2

| caps10 = 9

| caps11 = 89

| goals1 = 4

| goals2 = 3

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 1

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 0

| goals8 = 3

| goals9 = 0

| goals10 = 0

| goals11 = 4

| totalcaps = 400

| totalgoals = 15

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalyears2 = 1996

| nationalteam1 = Wales U21

| nationalteam2 = Wales

| nationalcaps1 = 7

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| club-update =

| ntupdate =

| manageryears1 = 2009

| managerclubs1 = Aberystwyth Town (Caretaker)

| manageryears2 = 2011–20??

| managerclubs2 = Aberystwyth Town (Director of Football)

| manageryears3 = 20??–2017

| managerclubs3 = Cardiff Metropolitan University

| manageryears4 = 2017–2022

| managerclubs4 = Cardiff Metropolitan University

}}

Christian Edwards (born 23 November 1975) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer who was most recently manager of Cymru Premier side Cardiff Metropolitan University.

He played mainly as a centre back but has also played on the right of the defence. Edwards made more than 300 Football League appearances, most prominently for Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Bristol Rovers. He also made loan appearances for several other clubs before moving into non-league football. He also represented Wales at full international and under-21 levels.

Club career

=Swansea City=

He began his professional career at Swansea City after joining the club as a youth player (where he got his nickname 'Swanny'). He made 112 appearances for Swansea before he moved to Nottingham Forest.

=Nottingham Forest=

He cost Forest £300,000 when he arrived there in March 1998 but it was not long until he was on the move again this time on loan to Bristol City where he made 3 appearances. In 2000–2001 he went out on loan twice, first to Oxford United and then to Crystal Palace where he played 9 games for the Londoners.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wales/1658567.stm |title=Edwards on the move |work=BBC Sport|date=2001-11-15 |accessdate=2009-10-13}} A year later (2002) he went out on loan again this time to Tranmere Rovers where he played 12 games before joining Bristol Rovers. He made 54 appearances for Forest.

=Bristol Rovers=

His first season as a Rovers player saw him partnering captain Adam Barrett in the centre of the defence. In March, Edwards was placed on to the transfer list following a dip in form. It got worse for him when he fractured his arm on the last day of the 2004–05 season and took all summer to recover. In the summer of 2006 first team coach Paul Trollope announced that Edwards' contract would not be renewed, he was released soon afterwards.

=Forest Green Rovers=

In July 2006 Edwards announced he would retire from professional football at the age of 30 but later went back on his decision and signed for Forest Green Rovers.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/forest_green_rovers/5234588.stm |title=Forest Green nab defender Edwards |work=BBC Sport|date=2006-08-01 |accessdate=2009-10-13}} Edwards played just nine times for Forest Green before his departure.

=Aberystwyth Town=

On 4 January 2007, it was announced that Edwards had joined Welsh Premier League club Aberystwyth Town.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/6230667.stm |title=Aberystwyth sign defender Edwards |work=BBC Sport|date=2007-01-04 |accessdate=2009-10-13}} In September 2009, Edwards took over as caretaker manager of the side following the resignation of Brian Coyne,{{Cite web |url=http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/news/1255-edwards-handed-temporary-charge-of-aber |title=Edwards handed temporary charge of Aber |publisher=welsh-premier.com |date=2009-09-28 |accessdate=2009-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309172021/http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/news/1255-edwards-handed-temporary-charge-of-aber |archive-date=9 March 2012 |url-status=dead}} before moving into an assistant manager role with appointment of former Tranmere teammate Alan Morgan as the club's new permanent manager.{{Cite web |url=http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/headline-news/1373-morgs-the-man-for-aberystwyth |title=Morgs the man for Aberystwyth |publisher=welsh-premier.com |date=2009-11-04 |accessdate=2009-11-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309172206/http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/headline-news/1373-morgs-the-man-for-aberystwyth |archivedate=9 March 2012}} In February 2011, Edwards left his role at Aberystwyth after four years with the club.{{Cite web| url=http://www.welshpremier.com/news/WelshPrem35952.ink |title=Assistant Edwards leaves Aberystwyth |publisher=welshpremier.com |date=15 February 2011}}{{dead link|date=December 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Coaching career

Edwards served as the manager of Cardiff Metropolitan University, leading the club into the Welsh Premier League before being replaced by Wayne Allison in 2017. Allison stepped down later that year and Edwards took up the role of manager once again.{{Cite web|url=https://clwbpeldroed.org/2017/09/19/allison-steps-down-as-met-manager/|title = Cardiff Metropolitan University re-appoint Dr Christian Edwards|date = 19 September 2017}}

International career

Edwards has one full Welsh cap which he gained as an 88th-minute substitute for Chris Coleman during a 2–0 defeat to Switzerland on 24 April 1996.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/wal-intres90.html |title=Wales – international results 1990–1999 – details |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|accessdate=2009-10-13}} He also has two 'B' caps and seven under-21 caps to his name. He was also called up for a friendly against Argentina in February 2002, however he stayed on the bench.{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2002/1816173.stm

|title=Giggs shows Veron the way

|publisher=BBC

|date=13 February 2002 |accessdate=13 March 2015}}

Personal life

He has a degree from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff{{Cite web |url=http://www3.uwic.ac.uk/English/News/Pages/070709footballer.aspx |title=Ex pro-footballer scores goal of a lifetime at UWIC |publisher=uwic.ac.uk |date=2009-07-07 |accessdate=2009-10-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725081351/http://www3.uwic.ac.uk/English/News/Pages/070709footballer.aspx |archivedate=25 July 2011}} where he studied for a degree in sports coaching and obtained a first class degree. He subsequently completed a master's degree and completed a PhD.{{Cite web |url=http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/news/4159-edwards-returns-in-aber-role-reversal |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209052048/http://www.welsh-premier.com/index.php/news/4159-edwards-returns-in-aber-role-reversal |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 February 2013 |title=Edwards returns in Aber role reversal |publisher=Welsh Premier League |date=15 December 2011 |accessdate=1 January 2012 }}

Managerial statistics

rowspan="2"\|Team !rowspan="2"\|Country !rowspan="2"\|From !rowspan="2"\|To !colspan="6"\|Record
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
G	W	D	L	Win %
align=left\|Aberystwyth Town (caretaker) \|{{flagicon\|Wales}} \|align=left\|28 September 2009 \|align=left\|4 November 2009 \| 7	5	1	1	{{#expr: 5/7 * 100 round 2}}
colspan="4"\|Total ! 7	5	1	1	{{#expr: 5/7 * 100 round 2 }}

Honours

Swansea City

Football League Third Division play-offs runner-up: 1997{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027002521/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-swansea-run-over-by-frain-1263330.html |archivedate=27 October 2018 |title=Football: Swansea run over by Frain |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media |first=Norman |last=Fox |date=25 May 1997 |accessdate=1 May 2020}}