749 Mike Edwards

Biography

Versatile Hessle-born defender Mike Edwards came through the Hull City apprentice ranks and signed to the club’s apprentice YTS scheme in the summer of 1996. He made rapid progress through the Reserves, signing a professional deal a year later, and was handed a surprise debut for Mark Hateley’s first team side at the age of 17, in a crazy Yuletide 4-5 defeat at Rotherham United. Despite his tender years Edwards quickly found favour and rapidly established himself as a first team starter, scoring his first senior goal in a November 1999 FA Cup tie at Hayes in West London that was just as bonkers as his debut.

Edwards’ reputation as a solid and reliable performer also attracted later City managers Warren Joyce and Brian Little, who both made Mike a near ever-present as the 20th century gave way to the 21st. Indeed between January 2001 and December 2001 Edwards played in 53 consecutive league and cup games for the Tigers, including both legs of the May 2001 League Division 3 play-off semi-final against Leyton Orient. By the 2002 close season Edwards had enjoyed four and half seasons in the City first team. However the arrival of Jan Molby and, shortly after the big Dane, Peter Taylor saw the end of Edwards’ time at City and he left the club in March 2003.

In March 2003 Edwards joined League Division 2 side Colchester United, signing for the remainder of the 2002/03 season and making five appearances. In August 2003 he returned north and signed for League Division 2 side Grimsby Town, playing regularly in a Mariners side that was relegated to the fourth tier at the end of the 2003/04 season – after one goal in 36 appearances for Grimsby, Mike was on the move again.

In July 2004 Edwards joined League Two side Notts County, beginning a fourteen year association with the Magpies as a player (defender and midfielder) and latterly as a coach. A serious knee injury sustained in a September 2004 League Cup tie against West Ham United meant Edwards missed nearly a year of football, when he returned to the Notts County first team in August 2005 he established himself as a first team regular, a position that he retained for six seasons, save for the first half of the 2007/08 season which he missed after breaking his leg in a pre-season friendly. By this time he was the Magpies’ club captain, a position he retained in the 2009/10 season when Notts won the League Two title and earned promotion to the third tier. Mike retained his first team place for a season and a half but dropped out of the first team in January 2012 as County mounted an unsuccessful push for a second promotion in two years. By May 2012 Edwards had scored 22 goals in 304 appearances for Notts County across eight seasons.

In July 2012 Edwards transferred to League One rivals Carlisle United, his two seasons at Brunton Park saw the Cumbrians struggle in the lower reaches of the table, in the 2013/14 season Edwards made just one appearance as Carlisle suffered relegation – in total he made 29 appearances for the club.

In July 2014 Edwards returned to Notts County and spent a further three seasons playing for the Magpies as they suffered relegation to League Two in the 2014/15 season – Mikey’s second consecutive relegation – then consolidated in the fourth tier. His final appearance for the Magpies came in November 2016 against Barnet, taking his tally for his second spell at Meadow Lane to 48 appearances and eight goals. He stayed on the books at Notts County for another eighteen months, transitioning from player to player-coach to strength and conditioning coach. He left the club in the June 2018. In a 21 year career as a professional footballer Edwards scored 39 goals in an impressive 630 appearances.

After his time at Notts County ended, Edwards continued the work he had done at Meadow Lane and became a sports performance consultant, working for football training holiday firm Iconz Experience alongside another ex-Tiger Lawrie Dudfield.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 25 April 1980, Hessle
Hull City First Game: 28 December 1997, Rotherham United A (League Division 3), 17 years, 247 days old
Hull City Final Game: 5 October 2002, Kidderminster Harriers A (League Division 3), 22 years, 163 days old

Clubs

Hull City (1997-2003), Colchester United (2003), Grimsby Town (2003-2004), Notts County (2004-2012), Carlisle United (2012-2014), Notts County (2014-2018)

Hull City Record

Career: 208 apps, 8 goals

Mike Edwards
SeasonLGE
App
LGE
Gls
FAC
App
FAC
Gls
FLC
App
FLC
Gls
EUR
App
EUR
Gls
OTH
App
OTH
Gls
1997/9820 (1)01 (0)0
1998/9928 (2)03 (0)02 (1)02 (0)0
1999/0036 (4)15 (0)23 (0)01 (1)0
2000/0140 (2)41 (0)01 (0)03 (0)0
2001/0238 (1)12 (0)02 (0)02 (0)0
2002/033 (3)0

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