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Thu, Mar

Carlos Edwards of Sunderland in action during the FA Cup sponsored by E.on Fourth Round Replay match between Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland at Ewood Park on February 4, 2009 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
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He will always be best known for that goal, the one that sent us back to the Premier League. Yes, of course I am talking about that absolute screamer against Burnley.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Edwards attended St Anthony's College in Westmoorings, the same as future international and Sunderland team-mate Kenwyne Jones. He started his professional footballing career at Defence Force in the T&T Pro League (Trinidad and Tobago professional league).

Edwards moved to England after a successful trial at Wrexham in 2000 signing for a fee of £250,000. It's fair to say that Edwards time at Wrexham was a successful one. 

Helping the team to promotion to the Second Division in 2003, Edwards also made the PFA Third Division team of the year. He made the team of the year again the following season. 

Edwards also won his first bit of silverware when Wrexham took the Football League Trophy in 2005.

At the end of the 2004-05 season Edwards left Wrexham on a Bosman transfer, joining this weekend's opponents Luton on a three-year deal. He became a popular figure at Luton, winning the Young Members Player of the Season award during his first season at the club.

Edwards was a part of the Trinidad and Tobago squad that took part in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was the first and, so far, the only time Trinidad and Tobago failed to get past the group stage, picking up just one point. 

Along with the rest of the squad (which included other former Sunderland players Kenwyne Jones, Dwight Yorke and Stern John) Edwards received a Gold Class Chaconia Medal - this is the second highest state honour of Trinadad and Tobago.

In January 2007, after being convinced by then Sunderland boss Roy Keane, Edwards was to link up with fellow national teammate Dwight Yorke. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Black Cats for a fee of £1.5 million.

It's fair to say Edwards' Sunderland career started positively, with him scoring five goals during the rest of the season and helping the Blacks Cats gain promotion back to the Premier League. 

In fact, it was Edwards' winner in the 80th minute versus Burnley that confirmed promotion to the Premier League - and what a goal it was; an absolute screamer.

Edwards' first full season at the club was to be a frustrating one hampered by injury. Only two games into the season he fell victim to a hamstring injury, then shortly after returning from that injury he suffered a leg fracture. He returned towards the final months of the season and contributed to Sunderland's survival in the Premier League.

The following season saw some new faces at the club, meaning game time was hard to come by for Edwards. He joined Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2008 on a three-month loan. His time at Wolves was a short one though, and he was recalled in November after only six appearances for West Midlands side.

Reuniting with former manager Roy Keane, Edwards joined Ipswich in September 2009 with fellow Sunderland team-mate Grant Leadbitter for a combined fee of £4 million. 

Edwards' time at Ipswich was a success, winning Players Player of the Season in 2012, and in the same season he became Ipswich captain. However, in the 2013-14 season Edwards found games hard to come by and in March 2014 he joined Millwall on loan.

His move to Millwall was made permanent in May 2014 when he signed a one-year contract, however an injury early in the season ruled him out of most of the 2014-15 season. Edwards was released at the end of his one-year contract but later re-signed for Millwall for the 2015-16 season, helping them reach the League One play-off final - which they lost to Barnsley.

On leaving Millwall Edwards returned to Trinadad and Tobago to play for Ma Pau Stars in the TT Pro Leagues. He then signed a short three-week contract at TT Pro League team Central FC to take part in the Caribbean Cup.

In 2017 Edwards returned to Sussex and joined non-league Woodbridge where he became joint player-manager in 2019. He then left to join Isthmian League's Bury Town - where he had already been playing due to an arrangement with Woodbridge which allowed him to play for Bury Town when he didn't have a game for Woodbridge.

He is still playing at Bury Town at the age of 43 and also holds a coaching role at Ipswich, a role he has held since 2018.


SOURCE: si.com