Blow for Chelsea as key first-team backroom staff leaves Stamford Bridge for PL rivals

Joe Edwards departs Chelsea to join Frank Lampard’s coaching staff at Everton

As per the club’s official website, Chelsea assistant coach Joe Edwards has left the club, heading to Merseyside to join Frank Lampard at Everton and join the former Blues manager’s backroom staff. Lampard was appointed as head coach at Goodison Park on transfer deadline day.

Edwards was part of manager Thomas Tuchel‘s coaching setup last year, helping the club to a Champions League and Super Cup victory under the German’s leadership at Chelsea. The 35-year-old previously worked with Lampard when the Blues legend was in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The Englishman was promoted to assistant coach with the first team following Lampard’s appointment as manager in 2019. Having previously worked with the youth teams at Chelsea, Edwards saw the rise of several academy graduates he coached step up to the senior squad and thrive in the past few years.

Chelsea thanked Edwards for his 27 year-association with the club in a statement yesterday, sending their best wishes as he departs for a new challenge on Merseyside. The Blues also announced that his position on Tuchel’s coaching staff would not be filled at this point in time. 

Reunion with Lampard

A reunion with Lampard awaits Edwards in February, as he tries to help the former Chelsea midfielder restart his managerial career at Goodison Park. It is sure to be a challenge for Edwards, who will be coming in mid-season to help the club finish strongly and not get sucked into the relegation battle they threaten to slip into.

The Toffees are in disarray at the moment, as previous boss Rafa Benitez left the club after a string of poor results. The team look short on confidence and form, and Edwards will need to help Lampard out with all his experience to turn things around on Merseyside.

The duo led Chelsea to some famous victories while in charge of the Blues, even reaching the FA Cup final in Lampard’s debut season as head coach at Stamford Bridge. Lampard seems to want the Chelsea assistant coach at Everton with fond memories of their time working together.

During his coaching career at Chelsea, Edwards worked as head coach of the development squad. He is well respected at the club for taking the team into the semi-finals of the senior Checkatrade Trophy, which remains the furthest any academy team has reached in the competition.

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Lampard was credited with promoting many youth products into the Blues squad during his time here at Stamford Bridge, partly due to the influence Edwards has had behind the scenes. The assistant coach has spent almost his entire career at Chelsea coaching the youth teams, and he would have been fundamental in helping Lampard identify players he could promote to the first team.

With academy products like Anthony Gordon, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Jonjoe Kenny breaking into the first team this year at Everton, Edwards will hope to continue his good work while at Chelsea and develop more youth players to take the stage at Goodison Park.