Walsall free transfer has proven to be one of Plymouth Argyle's wisest in decades: View | OneFootball

Joe Edwards has spearheaded the Pilgrims rise to the Championship since his 2019 arrival

Joe Edwards saved the day for Plymouth Argyle once again at the weekend, as his injury-time winner earned his side all three points against Sunderland.

The 33-year-old reacted quickest to prod home the rebound after Anthony Patterson could only bat away Kornel Szucs’ strike from the edge of the area, and lift the roof off of Home Park in the process.

After their well-documented early season struggles, the 3-2 success over the Black Cats marked the first Championship win of the Wayne Rooney era for the Greens, with nobody else more deserving of scoring the winning goal.

After joining the club from Walsall five years ago, the full-back has gone on to cement himself as one of the most heroic leaders of the football club in decades, with many considering him the finest player to ever lead the club onto the pitch.

Plymouth Argyle move has brought the best out of Joe Edwards

After starting out life with Bristol City in the Championship, Edwards’ career saw him become something a lower league specialist during his early years, with stints at Yeovil Town, Colchester United and Walsall seeing him slowly make his way down the divisions.

In fact, the defender had just suffered relegation from League One with the Saddlers before making the move to Home Park, although the Greens had immediate ambitions to try and get back to the third tier when they snapped him up half a decade ago.

Few would have thought that the 2019 arrival would go on to become such a prominent figure in the club’s history at the time, with his arrival initially seeing him feature in a defensive midfield role.

With Ryan Lowe taking over proceedings at the club in the summer, much was expected around Devon as the season got underway, with Edwards’ versatility being called into effect throughout the campaign.

Whether he was stuck in the middle, or utilised out on the right-hand side, both management and fanbase knew they could expect nothing less than 100% from their number eight, with his eagerness to fly into a tackle always warmly received.

That has been a trademark of Edwards’ game, and he has risen back through the divisions with Argyle, with his desire, passion, and outright willingness to win setting the standards for all of those that join him in the dressing room and on the pitch week in, week out.

You only have to look at an Argyle side without him in to witness the stark contrast across the field; there’s is no bite, no venom, no chewing the referee’s ear off, all traits that make Edwards worth his weight in gold for all he does for his side.

Joe Edwards proves he is the man for the big occasions

It’s not only without the ball that Edwards has proven himself to be an influential figure in Plymouth Argyle’s history, with his penchant for turning up when it matters the most underlining his importance to this current era of Argyle.

Whether it is in a promotion push or relegation scrap, there has been many a time when the Greens have been desperate for something to go their way, a goal out of nothing, and Edwards has so often been the man to deliver it.

The latest Sunderland offering is the prime example; with his extra desire to see him reach the ball first before his opposition defenders, and being in the right place to seize the moment when it matters the most.

That feeling of their captain turning up when it matters the most will be a familiar one for the Green Army, with vital strikes in the 2022/23 League One promotion run-in earning a return to the Championship, before Mr. Reliable popped up once again just four months ago to etch himself into Home Park folklore.

With their second tier status hanging by a thread, Argyle needed a win on the final day of the season to avoid an immediate return to League One, with Hull City the visitors.

While those watching on were a bag of nerves as the game got underway, they will have gained heart from the performance of their skipper, who put in a performance that the Janners in attendance will be talking about for eons.

Edwards was everywhere; crashing into tackles, surging forward with the ball, and just when they needed it the most, arriving at the back post to head home the only goal of the game.

Argyle had done it, Edwards had done it, the man that has morphed into Plymouth Argyle over the past five years had saved his club once again.

Arms aloft, steaming towards the Mayflower Stand, it is a moment that Argyle fans will never forget, as their captain does what he has always done, and what he expects of himself.

Many a manager has tried alternative options in the fullback roles over the past five years, but they have all failed to be long-term replacements, as Edwards continues to prove that he is the beating heart of this Argyle side.

They may be younger, they may have more pace, they may even have more skill, but nothing can make up for the grit that Edwards possesses, and the trust he has from every single person in Home Park on a match day.