Rob Edwards is a man refreshed. A manager re-energised.

He is even sleeping better than before, currently based at Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Park training ground.

“Living on site has helped me manage my energy better,” he tells Sky Sports. “I can even sneak an extra 10 minutes in bed and be in by seven!”

Friday 19th September 7:30pm


Kick off 8:00pm

Results always help with rejuvenation, and Middlesbrough’s have been excellent. Four wins and a draw thus far, they head into Friday night’s clash with West Brom – live on Sky Sports – top of the Championship.

But even since the start of the season, Edwards has cut a very different figure to the one he ended at Luton Town in January.

The five months he had off were the longest break he had ever really had away from the game. The time was used wisely – both personally and professionally.

“I had a couple of holidays after leaving Luton and spent some time with the family,” he recalls. “I enjoyed normal things – school runs, dog walks – and then gave myself time to reflect.

“Any manager who’s had time out gets the chance to relax, re-energise and heal a little. I thought about areas to learn from, what we could do better, and also reminded myself of the good things we achieved at Luton. We did some remarkable stuff and created incredible memories at that club.

“Last year was a tough period for lots of different reasons. I felt we got judged a little on that and people forgot some of the good work we had done.”

That break and the change in environment has clearly done Edwards a lot of good.

“I feel refreshed and I’m enjoying it here,” he says. “It’s a great place to be, a great place to work with really good people and very good players. The supporters have been amazing and welcoming. I’ve felt real warmth from them. At the moment, it’s good.

“It really makes me smile to be at a big football club. It’s a real privilege to be head coach here and that’s not lost on me. I felt that from the moment I arrived.

“We’ve got amazing facilities and a great fan base. It’s a wonderful area and I love it already. The people have been brilliant and really welcoming. My family have been up a lot during the school holidays, which has been nice. I’ve even enjoyed my couple of Parmos.”

Edwards also enjoyed the rarity for a new manager of being appointed early in the summer, giving him a full pre-season and a full transfer window to start reshaping the squad left behind by Michael Carrick.

“It’s quite rare these days not to arrive in a job mid-season,” he says. “Having that time has been important. Pre-season gave me a chance to work with the group and put my own ideas across.

“Michael did such a good job here and built a really strong squad. There has been a lot of change in the squad, probably double figures in terms of incomings and some outgoings as well.

“But those few weeks before the season helped us build not just on the pitch but also off it, trying to create a good culture and environment. It gave me the chance to get to know people, which is important.

“From day one of pre-season we’ve come straight in with ideas and joined some really good work that was already going on. There are great people here and we’ve tried to add our bits as well. With results comes belief, not just from the players but also the supporters.

“There’s a nice feeling around the place at the moment. It’s great to get results early on. It’s not the be-all and end-all, but what’s been good is the performances have matched the results. What’s exciting is that there’s more to come.”

Edwards has his smile back, his energy restored, and a squad buying into his ideas. For Middlesbrough, that can only mean one thing: belief.