JOE SO EAGER TO ED ON UP!
SUCCESS and failure have more often than not arrived hand-in-hand for Joe Edwards but the midfielder hopes that good times are on the horizon at Walsall.
The 27-year-old is in his second season at the Bescot Stadium and has a burning ambition to make it back to the Championship following his spell in the second tier with Yeovil in 2013-14.
Despite impressing from the heart of Gary Johnson’s midfield as the Glovers punched above their weight, the former Bristol City man was unable to prevent Yeovil from going back down and he suffered the ignominy of two more successive relegations from League One – once at Huish Park and then at Colchester.
On a personal level, Edwards has still impressed, being named Western Gazette player of the year with Yeovil in the Championship and players’ player of the year at Colchester the season before last.
Impressed
Having halted that unwanted spiral with a 14th-placed finish with the Saddlers last term, Edwards is striving to become more upwardly mobile with Walsall.
“Getting relegated three times in row does get brought up and stats don’t lie. It is what it is,” said the Saddlers man.
“I had a fantastic promotion with Yeovil and unfortunately, we went back down, but these things happen in your career and you want to be remembered for the positive times.
“I had a really good time with a fantastic bunch of players, and a lot of those players are now in the Premier League or playing week-in, week-out in the Championship.
“I felt I held my own in that league and that’s the goal at the moment, to get back into the Championship. Walsall’s a fantastic club to develop at and, hopefully, it can be with them.
“We’ve definitely got the players and the manger to do it. There’s a lot of talent; the likes of Erhun Oztumer, who’s a fantastic player at this level and would do really well if he got the chance to go up.”
Alas, Walsall haven’t played in the second tier since 2004 and their season so far has yet to catch fire, with Jon Whitney’s troops currently ambling in mid-table.
With Whitney, a former physiotherapist, forced into making sweeping changes to his Saddlers side last season as he embarked on his first permanent job in management, Edwards believes that it is time for himself and his team-mates – now fully bedded in – to step up to the plate.
“It’s been slightly disappointing,” he said. “We were hoping this year, with a few more familiar faces around the place, we might have kicked on a bit.
“There’s still a long way to go, though. We want to finish in the top half and push for the play-offs, which we’re more than capable of with the squad we’ve got.
“If you can be consistent, you quickly move up the table in this league.”
To that end, Edwards, a former captain at Yeovil, is currently demonstrating his leadership capabilities, having been appointed the Saddlers’ vice-captain this season.
Versatile and always willing to pitch in to aid the cause however he can, the midfielder hopes that he can play a key role in moving Walsall in the right direction.
“We’ve got a young squad that are still learning, so for myself, who’s been about for a while even though I’m not too old, it’s nice to be there for opinions and advice,” said Edwards.
“I like the added responsibility that I have about the place and I want to be back playing in the Championship – hopefully, that’s with Walsall.”