Jurgen Klopp has already told Middlesbrough all the need to know about Rob Edwards

The former Liverpool boss was full of praise for the Edwards while at Luton

Rob Edwards’ imminent appointment as Middlesbrough’s next manager may not be the high-profile move some Boro fans had hoped for, but the 42-year-old brings a good CV and lot of credit to the club.

While last season did not go as planned, with Luton being relegated to League One four months after Edwards left Kenilworth Road following a terrible Championship campaign, there is no doubt that he gained many fans during the Hatters’ brief Premier League stint.

He propelled the unfashionable Bedfordshire team into the top division via the play-offs, and then did an admirable job of maintaining them there, much to the amazement of many analysts who had written them off before the season even began.
Given the disparity in funding and squad size between Luton and the rest of the division, their ultimate relegation was somewhat unsurprising, but Edwards’ efforts were not overlooked. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised Luton’s management after the Reds were beaten to a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road.

Klopp, who has won the Premier League and Champions League with the Reds, was quick to laud his Luton counterpart, which will undoubtedly give Boro fans hope.

“The job Rob is doing there is insane,” Klopp stated of Edwards in 2023. “I’m not sure it’s really respected enough that a team with the number of points they had at the start of the season is making such a footballing improvement; I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.

“When you saw the Man United game, you saw Luton play an unbelievable game. Yes, they lost, but it was an amazing game. They extended possession periods dramatically throughout the season. “Good players, obviously a top coach.”

For his part, Edwards was modestly pleased to receive accolades from one of the game’s biggest personalities, but he liked to share the credit.

“It’s pretty great, obviously it was extremely humbling,” he said.” “It’s a collective effort, and I never want to take credit for it myself. It’s extremely wonderful, and I believe it’s good because it recognizes the players and the work they do.

“It’s great for the football club to have someone whose viewpoint is both valid and recognized.

“There were obviously a lot of opinions on us early on and then for someone like him to say some of that stuff about our players and the work that the staff are doing, it’s nice for us, it’s good.”