Phil Edwards

Career Early career Edwards started his career at Wigan Athletic, signing a professional contract at the age of 18. He was loaned to Morecambe for one month in September 2004 to gain first-team experience, making a single appearance as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Northwich Victoria. He returned to Wigan in October 2004, where he featured regularly for the reserve team but did not make any first-team appearances.

Accrington Stanley Edwards signed for Accrington Stanley on loan in October 2005, making his debut in a 3–3 Football League Trophy draw against Rotherham United. Accrington won each of Edwards' first six matches, conceding only two goals, His loan was extended until the end of the 2005–06 season in November 2005, and after regular appearances, Edwards signed permanently for Accrington on 12 January 2006. He was part of the team that secured promotion to the Football League with a 1–0 win over Woking on 15 April 2006, making 27 appearances that season.

Edwards scored his first professional goal in a 3–3 home draw with Shrewsbury Town on 2 December 2006. His final appearance of the 2006–07 season was in a 3–2 home victory over Macclesfield Town, a result that ensured the club's Football League status for the following year. He made 39 appearances in all competitions that season, scoring once. Edwards committed to Accrington for the 2007–08 season by signing a one-year contract extension on 8 May 2007. After limited game time during the first half of the season, Edwards was ever-present from December 2007 onwards. He scored his only goal of that season on 4 April 2008, the match-winner in a 1–0 victory against Dagenham & Redbridge, a result that helped secure Accrington's League Two survival. He made 32 appearances in all competitions during the campaign.

Accrington manager John Coleman praised Edwards' form during the start of the 2008–09 season in October 2008, stating: "I couldn't pay him enough compliments. I think the last six months he has been absolutely magnificent. I am convinced if he was three inches bigger he would be playing in the Premier League. He is our best defender and hopefully he'll continue to be a great player for us for a long time". Edwards was substituted after 17 minutes due to injury in Accrington's 2–1 win against Shrewsbury Town on 21 October 2008, but despite needing eight stitches in his knee, he played in the next league match four days later. He appeared in all 50 matches that season as Accrington finished 16th in League Two. In June 2009, he signed a new two-year contract. Edwards scored nine times from central defence during the 2009–10 season, playing in all 57 matches as Accrington finished in 15th place in League Two.

He scored his first two goals of the 2010–11 season on 2 October 2010, both from the penalty spot in Accrington's 7–4 home win against Gillingham. Accrington secured their place in the League Two play-offs by finishing fifth, with Edwards playing in both semi-final matches against Stevenage, which they lost 3–0 on aggregate. That season, he scored 13 goals from defence in 51 appearances, finishing as Accrington's joint top goalscorer alongside Terry Gornell and Sean McConville. Accrington assistant manager Jimmy Bell stated: "Phil has been offered a good deal and we're quietly confident, although there have been a few rumours about one or two clubs being interested. But Phil has been here since he was young, he can't drive, he gets looked after by the club and he gets lifts in to training, so he feels quite settled here". He agreed to a one-year deal with the option of a second year. Upon joining the club, Edwards stated he had not been actively seeking a move but chose Stevenage to experience League One football. He went on to make 27 appearances during the first half of the season, of which 13 were starts.

Rochdale Following Graham Westley's departure, Edwards fell out of favour under new Stevenage manager Gary Smith and joined Rochdale on 9 March 2012, on loan until the end of the 2011–12 season. The move reunited him with manager John Coleman, who had managed him for six years at Accrington. He made his Rochdale debut the following day, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute in a 2–2 draw against Huddersfield Town. His loan spell was limited to three appearances due to a knee injury. At the end of the season, Edwards was released by Stevenage upon the expiry of his contract. Ahead of the 2012–13 season, he signed a one-year permanent deal with Rochdale and featured regularly, making 49 appearances in all competitions as the club finished in mid-table in League One.

Burton Albion Edwards opted to leave Rochdale after his first full season, signing for fellow League Two club Burton Albion on a free transfer on 29 June 2013. Upon signing, Burton manager Gary Rowett praised Edwards' experience and consistency, noting that at 27 he was well-positioned to continue progressing and become a key player for the club. He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away victory at Exeter City on 26 October 2013.

He scored six goals in 50 appearances during the 2014–15 season as Burton finished the 2014–15 season as League Two champions. This included goals the final two matches of the season, victories against Northampton Town and Cambridge United, to secure the League Two title on the last day of the season. and signed a new one-year contract with Burton on 8 May 2015. Edwards remained a regular in defence during the 2015–16 season, making 49 appearances in all competitions, as Burton finished second in League One, achieving back-to-back promotions to the Championship. Across three seasons with the club, he made 151 appearances, scored eight goals,

Loan to Oxford United After making just one appearance for Burton in the opening month of the 2016–17 season, Edwards joined League One club Oxford United on a season-long loan on 19 August 2016. Burton manager Nigel Clough stated that, although he was reluctant to loan out Edwards, it would have been "selfish" to keep him in the squad solely as cover for potential injuries.

Bury Released by Burton at the end of the season, Edwards signed a two-year contract with League One club Bury on 14 May 2017. He suffered a cartilage tear in his knee during pre-season and underwent surgery in July 2017. After recovering, Edwards made his Bury debut in a 0–0 draw against former club Rochdale on 26 August 2017. He made 42 appearances during the season as Bury were relegated to League Two after finishing in last place in the League One standings. Edwards made just three appearances during the 2018–19 season, all in the EFL Trophy, and left the club upon the expiry of his contract in June 2019. It was the third time Edwards had been signed by manager John Coleman, who described the signing as a "no risk" move. Edwards played a peripheral role during the season, making eight appearances in all competitions

Warrington Town Edwards signed for Northern Premier League club Warrington Town on 3 November 2020. Warrington's 2020–21 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before he made any first-team appearances.

Style of play Edwards was deployed in a number of positions throughout his career and his versatility to play across all defensive positions was highlighted as one of his strengths. He was a regular penalty taker at Accrington, scoring 16 goals from the penalty spot. Edwards was praised for his strong work ethic both in training and during matches. Championship

2005–06 League Two

2008–09 League Two

Stevenage 2011–12

Burton Albion Football League One second-place promotion: 2015–16

Oxford United EFL Trophy runner-up: 2016–17 2009–10 PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15 League Two