Carlos Edwards
Encyclopedia
Akenhaton Carlos Edwards (born 24 October 1978), more commonly known as Carlos Edwards, is a Trinidadian
footballer who plays for Ipswich Town
as a midfielder
.
. He was later signed by Wrexham for £
250,000 in 2000, along with Dennis Lawrence
and Hector Sam
, after a successful trial.
He helped the club win promotion to the Second Division
in 2002–03, scoring 10 goals and winning Wrexham’s Player of the Year award and being selected for the PFA Third Division Team of the Year along the way. He then added a further five goals the following season as the club finished mid-table, with Edwards again voted into the PFA Team of the Year.
However, he suffered a knee injury while on international duty in 2004 that put him on the sidelines for most of the 2004–05 season. The campaign ended in relegation for the club but Edwards did win his first silverware in English football in the form of the 2005 Football League Trophy
.
With his Wrexham contract having expired, Edwards joined Championship
side Luton Town
in 2005 in a three-year deal on a Bosman transfer
. At Luton, he became popular with the fans with his flair and ability, winning the Young Members Player of the Season award for a strong first season with the club.
Edwards' form attracted a £1.5 million bid from Sunderland
whom he joined on 2 January 2007, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. Edwards began his Sunderland career brightly and scored five times in the remainder of the campaign. It was his spectacular 80th-minute winner against Burnley
that confirmed Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League, after Derby County
failed to beat Crystal Palace
the following day.
His first season in the top flight was ruined by injury problems though. He suffered a hamstring injury in only the second game and after returning, had a leg fracture that again put him on the sidelines. He managed to return for the final months of the campaign that saw Sunderland retain their Premier League status.
After a spree of summer signings left Edwards largely out of contention at his parent club, he joined Championship
side Wolverhampton Wanderers
on 2 October 2008 on a three-month loan. However, he was recalled early by the Black Cats on 20 November after six appearances for Wolves.
On 1 September, Edwards and Grant Leadbitter
signed for Ipswich Town for a combined fee of £4 million. He scored his first goal for Ipswich in a 1–0 win at Sheffield Wednesday on 20 February 2010.
on 5 June 1999 against Grenada
in the 1999 Caribbean Nations Cup, despite never having appeared at any youth level for his country before.
After playing his part in winning that tournament, he went on to become an established international and was part of the team that reached the World Cup Finals for the first time in the country's history and was duly selected for the squad for the 2006 World Cup
in Germany
. He played every minute of their participation during the competition, against Sweden
, England
and Paraguay
, respectively.
Sunderland
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
footballer who plays for Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Club career
Edwards, a right-winger also adept at right-back, started his professional career at Defence Force in his native Trinidad and Tobago, where he had attended the same school (St Anthony's College in Westmoorings) as future team-mate Kenwyne JonesKenwyne Jones
Kenwyne Joel Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He previously played for Sunderland, Southampton, Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday, W Connection and Joe Public.He began his football...
. He was later signed by Wrexham for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
250,000 in 2000, along with Dennis Lawrence
Dennis Lawrence
Dennis Lawrence is a former Trinidad and Tobago football player who is currently part of the coaching staff for Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.- Club career :...
and Hector Sam
Hector Sam
Hector McLeod Sam is a Trinidadian former international footballer striker, who now plays for his hometown side San Juan Jabloteh....
, after a successful trial.
He helped the club win promotion to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 2002–03, scoring 10 goals and winning Wrexham’s Player of the Year award and being selected for the PFA Third Division Team of the Year along the way. He then added a further five goals the following season as the club finished mid-table, with Edwards again voted into the PFA Team of the Year.
However, he suffered a knee injury while on international duty in 2004 that put him on the sidelines for most of the 2004–05 season. The campaign ended in relegation for the club but Edwards did win his first silverware in English football in the form of the 2005 Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
.
With his Wrexham contract having expired, Edwards joined Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
in 2005 in a three-year deal on a Bosman transfer
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
. At Luton, he became popular with the fans with his flair and ability, winning the Young Members Player of the Season award for a strong first season with the club.
Edwards' form attracted a £1.5 million bid from Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
whom he joined on 2 January 2007, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. Edwards began his Sunderland career brightly and scored five times in the remainder of the campaign. It was his spectacular 80th-minute winner against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
that confirmed Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League, after Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
failed to beat Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
the following day.
His first season in the top flight was ruined by injury problems though. He suffered a hamstring injury in only the second game and after returning, had a leg fracture that again put him on the sidelines. He managed to return for the final months of the campaign that saw Sunderland retain their Premier League status.
After a spree of summer signings left Edwards largely out of contention at his parent club, he joined Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 2 October 2008 on a three-month loan. However, he was recalled early by the Black Cats on 20 November after six appearances for Wolves.
On 1 September, Edwards and Grant Leadbitter
Grant Leadbitter
Grant Leadbitter is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Football League Championship club Ipswich Town. He played for Sunderland from 2003 until 2009 after rising as a product from the team's Youth Academy...
signed for Ipswich Town for a combined fee of £4 million. He scored his first goal for Ipswich in a 1–0 win at Sheffield Wednesday on 20 February 2010.
International career
Edwards made his international debut for the Trinidad and Tobago national teamTrinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
on 5 June 1999 against Grenada
Grenada national football team
The Grenada national football team is the national team of Grenada and is controlled by the Grenada Football Association. It is affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF. The team is nicknamed The Spice Boys, a reference to the export of nutmeg from the country...
in the 1999 Caribbean Nations Cup, despite never having appeared at any youth level for his country before.
After playing his part in winning that tournament, he went on to become an established international and was part of the team that reached the World Cup Finals for the first time in the country's history and was duly selected for the squad for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He played every minute of their participation during the competition, against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, respectively.
Honours
Wrexham- FAW Premier CupFAW Premier CupThe FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008...
: 2002, 2004 - Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
: 2005
Sunderland
- Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
(II): 2007
External links
- Carlos Edwards Profile on the Soca Warriors Online website