"I spoke to him" - Exclusive: What Lee Hendrie thinks of Middlesbrough appointing Rob Edwards | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Lee Hendrie has revealed his thoughts on Rob Edwards becoming the new Middlesbrough head coach.

Rob Edwards is to become Middlesbrough's new head coach after the sacking of Michael Carrick earlier this month.

The 42-year-old is set to be announced as Boro's new boss imminently, in what will be his first step back into management after his departure from Luton Town in January.

Edwards will be tasked with a promotion remit on Teesside next season, and will lead the club into a vital summer transfer window as they look to significantly improve upon their 10th-placed finish in 2024/25.

"He's been waiting for something like this" - Lee Hendrie makes Rob Edwards, Middlesbrough claim

Speaking exclusively with Football League World, we asked Sky Sports pundit and former player Lee Hendrie: 'Rob Edwards is heading to Middlesbrough. Does it surprise you he's landed such a high-profile job after his struggles with Luton Town last season?'

Hendrie said: "Does it surprise me that Rob Edwards has landed such a high-profile job? No.

"Do you know what, it doesn't. I think Rob's been waiting for something like this to come about. He's stepped away from Luton, he's had to have some time on his own and sort of re-establish himself.

"I spoke to him not so long back, and I think he wasn't in a massive rush to jump straight into a job. Frustration and disappointment of how the season ended last season at Luton, where they declined massively.

"I think he just wanted to have a step back and really find the right job for him, and I think this is a good fit for Rob, and for Boro."

Boxes will be ticked all round for both Middlesbrough and Rob Edwards

Whilst his appointment is proving divisive among Boro supporters, this appointment will undoubtedly see plenty of boxes ticked from both Edwards and Middlesbrough's point of view.

Starting with the former Luton Town boss, he will see Middlesbrough as a real sleeping giant in the Championship, with a talented playing squad that underperformed last season.

Financially, the club appears to be in its healthiest state in some time, with a healthy transfer budget also likely available for him to work with given the recent sale of Emmanuel Latte Lath, and with numerous highly saleable assets in the squad such as Hayden Hackney.

Edwards has a history of working well with young players, and as a former England Under-16 manager, he will see Boro's proud and widely respected Category 1 academy as being an extremely valuable resource and an exciting prospect to work with.

Looking at it from Middlesbrough's perspective, Edwards is a proven promotion artist in the EFL, having won League Two with Forest Green Rovers in 2021/22, before guiding Luton to a Championship play-off final success over Coventry City in 2022/23.

Boro's head of football, Kieran Scott, and head of recruitment, Chris Jones, are both familiar with Edwards too, having spent time working with each other previously at Wolves.

As such, they will likely be very much in unison with one another straight away in terms of knowing what type of players to recruit, and on a personal level too.

Edwards' Luton team, albeit one that got relegated, but up a spirited fight against Premier League relegation in 2023/24, earning him plaudits and respect from across the division for almost defying the odds.

Therefore, despite understandable concerns over how 2024/25 panned out for him at Kenilworth Road, there's more than enough evidence to suggest that was merely a blip in what will be a long and successful career in management for Edwards.