Liam Edwards
{{short description|English footballer (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Liam Edwards
| image = File:Liam Edwards - Leek Town (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 175px
| caption = Edwards playing for Leek Town in 2025
| fullname = Liam John Edwards{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/general-news/efl-squad-numbering-06.09.2019.pdf |title=Notification of shirt numbers: Bolton Wanderers |publisher=English Football League |page=7 |accessdate=18 October 2019}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|10|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = Crewe, England
| height =
| position = Defender
| currentclub = Leek Town
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2015
| youthclubs1 = Stoke City
| years1 = 2015–2017
| clubs1 = Stoke City
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2017–2022
| clubs2 = Bolton Wanderers
| caps2 = 6
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2018–2019
| clubs3 = → Southport (loan)
| caps3 = 22
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2021–2022
| clubs4 = → Southport (loan)
| caps4 = 9
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2022–2024
| clubs5 = Chester
| caps5 = 47
| goals5 = 1
| club-update = 18:00, 31 May 2024 (UTC)
| clubs6 = Leek Town
| years6 = 2024–
}}
Liam John Edwards (born 2 October 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for {{English football updater|LeekTown}} club Leek Town.
Career
Edwards started his career in Stoke City's academy, and signed his first professional contract with them in 2015.[https://www.stokecityfc.com/news/club-submit-retained-list Stoke City: "Club Submit Retained List"] He played no matches for the first team however, and was released in 2017.[https://www.stokecityfc.com/news/potters-submit-retained-list Stoke City: "Potters Submit Retained List"] After his release, he signed for Bolton Wanderers and became captain of their U23 team. As captain, he led them to win the 2017–18 Professional Development League title.
In November 2018, Edwards signed on loan for Southport.{{Cite web|url=https://southportfc.net/signing-edwards-joins-on-loan/|title=SIGNING {{!}} Edwards Joins On Loan|date=2018-11-02|website=Southport Football Club|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-15}} His loan was extended to the end of the season in January 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2019/january/liam-edwards-and-marcus-wood-extend-loans-until-the-end-of-the-season/|title=Liam Edwards and Marcus Wood extend loans until the end of the season|date=4 January 2019|publisher=Bolton Wanderers|language=en-gb|first=Mikey|last=O'Gara|access-date=8 December 2019}} He helped Southport win two trophies, the 2018–2019 Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy and Liverpool Senior Cup.
On 3 August 2019, he made his first appearance for Bolton's first team, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 away defeat to Wycombe Wanderers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49135860|title=Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Bolton Wanderers: Defeat for troubled Trotters at Adams Park|date=2019-08-03|access-date=2019-08-15|language=en-GB}} On 12 September 2019, he signed a new contract at Bolton until 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2019/september/liam-edwards--defender-signs-contract-until-2022/|title=LIAM EDWARDS Defender signs contract until 2022|date=2019-09-12|website=bwfc.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-17}} On 27 February 2020 he was ruled out for the rest of the season with injury.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51660718 BBC Sport: "Liam Edwards: Bolton Wanderers defender out for season with knee injury"] The injury also caused him to miss the entire 2020–2021 season as well. He finally returned from injury after 22 months out of action when he played 45 minutes for Bolton's Reserve team in a 3–0 defeat against Preston North End's reserves on 26 October 2021.[https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2021/october/edwards-its-good-to-back/ BWFC: "Edwards: It's Good To Be Back"] A week later he made his competitive return, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–0 against Rochdale in the EFL Trophy.[https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2021/november/report-rochdale-v-wanderers/ BWFC: "REPORT: Rochdale 0 Wanderers 3"] On 12 November 2021 Edwards re-joined Southport on an initial month's loan in order to build up match fitness having missed nearly two years of football.[https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2021/november/loan-deals-for-defensive-duo/ BWFC: "Loan Deals For Defensive Duo"] He made his second debut for them a day later when he started in a 4–1 against Boston United.[https://twitter.com/southport_fc/status/1459521437765619712 Southport Football Club: "The Southport line up this afternoon and, after Chris Doyle picked up a knock in training on Thursday, Liam Edwards on loan from Bolton goes straight in at the back."][https://twitter.com/southport_fc/status/1459565591824584716 Southport Football Club: "It's all over and a brilliant 4-1 win to the rampant Sandgrounders."] On 13 December, the loan was extended for another month[https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19780403.bolton-wanderers-defender-liam-edwards-extends-southport-loan/ The Bolton News: "Bolton Wanderers defender Liam Edwards extends Southport loan"] and then was extended again until the end of the season on 9 January 2022.[https://southportfc.net/liam-edwards-loan-extended-2/ Southport: "Liam Edwards Loan Extended"] On 3 May 2022, Bolton confirmed that he would be released at the end of his contract.{{Cite news |date=3 May 2022 |title=Wanderers Confirm Departures |publisher=Bolton Wanderers F.C. |url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2022/may/wanderers-confirm-departures/ |access-date=3 May 2022}} After his release, he signed for Chester.{{Cite news |date=9 June 2022 |title= Chester FC to sign Liam Edwards! |publisher=Chester City F.C. |url=https://www.chesterfc.com/2022/06/09/breaking-chester-fc-to-sign-liam-edwards/ |access-date=9 June 2022}}
Personal life
During his 23 month injury between January 2020 and November 2021, Edwards studied for a degree in chartered physiology just in case he would never be able to play again.[https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/19699373.bolton-wanderers-liam-edwards-studied-degree-23-month-injury-hell/ The Bolton News: "Bolton Wanderers' Liam Edwards studied for degree during 23-month injury hell"]
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 23 January 2024}}{{soccerbase|96395}}
;Notes
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
Honours
Bolton Wanderers Reserves
- Professional Development League: 2017–18
Southport
- Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy: 2018–19
- Liverpool Senior Cup: 2018–19
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Liam}}
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Stoke City F.C. players
Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Southport F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Footballers from Crewe