Edwards declares Wolves job was always his aim after acrimonious Middlesbrough exit

Rob Edwards has admitted managing Wolves was always his long-term ambition after attracting criticism for his decision to leave Middlesbrough after less than five months.

Edwards was appointed by Boro on a three-year contract in June, but he departed for Wolves on Wednesday with the team sat second in the Championship table.

Boro will reportedly receive around £3m in compensation for the former Luton Town boss, who faces an uphill battle to save Wolves from relegation after their terrible start to the campaign under Vitor Pereira.

Wolves have just two points from 11 Premier League games, and the possibility of them swapping places with Boro next term has led many to question Edwards' move.

But in his first interview with Wolves' media channels, Edwards said he could not turn down the chance to return to a club he represented as a player for four years and as a coach during two separate spells.

"[Chairman] Jeff [Shi] talked to me about a reset moment," Edwards said. "It's an opportunity for us now and I know we're in a difficult spot, but there are still 27 games to go, so there's an opportunity here for us to do something really special, and that appeals to me.

"I’ve always been a risk-taker, and I've always wanted this job. You don't know if it's ever going to come along again, and the opportunity was there right now. 

"It's going to be difficult, but there's an opportunity for us to maintain our Premier League status this year and then grow and continue to grow and build.

"Now, it's about moving forward and what we can do to affect it, and that's working incredibly hard, leaving it all out there to try and drag our way out of it.

"Short-term, that's got to be our aim; we've got to try and find results, and in the long-term, let's look to try and build on our identity and a connection with everybody again. Those have been the conversations, and I'm just relishing the opportunity."

Edwards' first game in charge will be against Crystal Palace at Molineux on November 22, with a local derby against Aston Villa to follow one week later.