Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new boss after influential figures convinced Championship promotion-chasers Middlesbrough to make a U-turn and sanction his move into the Molineux dugout.
Having been the only side still searching for their first Premier League win of the season, leaving them in danger of suffering relegation to the second tier, Wolves sacked Vitor Pereira less than 24 hours after a convincing defeat to fellow strugglers Fulham earlier this month.
James Collins and Richard Walker - who are the head coaches of Wanderers' under-21 and under-18 sides respectively - were in interim charge for the loss to Chelsea last weekend, but executive chairman Jeff Shi has handed Edwards the managerial reins and tasked him with retaining his new employers' top flight status.
Edwards Unveiled as Wanderers' Pereira Replacement
Rob Edwards
Wolves have appointed Edwards as their new manager on a three-and-a-half-year contract. GIVEMESPORT sources understand that he has been handed a long-term deal due to there being confidence that he can keep the West Midlands side in the Premier League and, if not, he is well-equipped to manage in the Championship.
The 42-year-old tactician has inherited a squad low on confidence after they have found themselves eight points adrift of safety, having lost nine of their first 11 encounters in the top flight this season, and their only victories have come in the Carabao Cup against West Ham United and Everton.
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi, in a 106-word statement, 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."
GMS sources have been told that Wolves have parted with a compensation package worth in the region of £3million, with it believed that Edwards had a release clause at a lower figure while Middlesbrough are in the Championship, and his first match at the helm will be against Crystal Palace at Molineux on November 22.
The former Luton Town chief was granted permission to speak to Wanderers after a club-to-club agreement was reached with his then-employers despite influential figures at the Riverside Stadium initially rejecting advances to open talks over him filling the vacancy.
The former Wolves central defender was always high in the Molineux hierarchy's thinking, GMS sources have learned, and they decided to pounce as they quickly discovered that he wanted the job due to his emotional connections to the club after Gary O'Neil opted against making a return when he was approached.
Middlesbrough are surprised by Edwards' exit, but knew ahead of last weekend's win over Birmingham City that he wanted to leave, resulting in them standing him down from matchday duties despite him initially being happy to remain in charge even though an exit package had been agreed.
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