Wolves announce new manager amid relegation scrap as former Premier League boss makes comeback

He will take over as the Premier League heads into an international break and will be on the sidelines for their home clash against Crystal Palace on November 22.

Edwards will be joined at the club by Harry Watling, who takes on the role of assistant head coach.

In the official statement, Executive Chairman Jeff Shi said: "I know Rob very well, and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented. When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.

"We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that. We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that."

Matt Jackson, head of professional football development, said: “Rob and his staff have demonstrated previously that they can be really good in shifting the culture, getting confidence quickly into players and building foundations for a really positive future. He loves being on the grass and making a change to a team, embracing the tactics of different situations.

"The energy that he brings off the field, we have to get it on to the pitch. We have to be realistic about where we are, and we definitely need to be held accountable. We now need to get that belief into the players quickly and think Rob will be great culturally for the whole football club."

The club also said that more backroom staff will be confirmed in the near future.

The Premier League club, which sacked Vitor Pereira after a poor start to the season, were permitted to speak with Edwards after Middlesbrough accepted a compensation fee of between £3-4million.

Boro initially turned down Wolves’ approach, having only installed Edwards as their manager in June on a three-year deal following the dismissal of Michael Carrick.

But the Sky Bet Championship club announced on Saturday that they had reluctantly agreed terms with Wolves, while Edwards did not take charge of their home win against Birmingham.

In a statement Boro said: "Middlesbrough Football Club have, subject to the completion of an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, given head coach Rob Edwards permission to speak to Wolves. We initially rejected an approach from Wolves on the basis that Rob signed a three-year contract with MFC less than six months ago.

"Following discussions with Rob, we were disappointed to learn that he wanted to speak with Wolves regarding their head coach vacancy. We have now agreed terms with Wolves, subject to completion of the relevant paperwork."

Wolves parted company with Pereira following a winless run of eight defeats from their opening 10 games this season.

Former Wolves defender Edwards made over 100 appearances during his time as a player at Molineux from 2004 to 2008.

He held various coaching roles at the club before taking charge of Forest Green in 2021.

He led Luton to the Premier League in 2023 and has also had a spell in charge at Watford.

While Boro have mounted a promotion challenge this season and currently sit second in the Championship, they will have to continue their campaign with a new manager in place.

Edwards began his playing career at Aston Villa before moving on to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he made his mark in the Football League.

His solid performances earned him 15 caps for the Welsh national team.

After a decade on the pitch, Edwards was forced to retire in 2013 due to injury, opening the way for a successful coaching career.

In 2023, Edwards guided Luton Town F.C. to a historic promotion to the Premier League, marking their first top-flight campaign since 1992.

Wolves were said to have discussed the vacancy with their former boss, Gary O’Neil, who later withdrew from the process after fan backlash.

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