EDWARDS REFLECTS ON ‘ROLLERCOASTER’ FIRST SEASON IN FULL-TIME FOOTBALL

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Goalkeeper chats U18s league title, U21s experience and more!

2025-06-11T07:00:00.000Z

EDWARDS REFLECTS ON ‘ROLLERCOASTER’ FIRST SEASON IN FULL-TIME FOOTBALL

Goalkeeper chats U18s league title, U21s experience and more!

2025-06-11T07:00:00.000Z

Goalkeeper chats U18s league title, U21s experience and more!

Around three years ago, Connor Edwards was playing as a centre-back for his local grassroots team in Chorley.

Fast forward to the 2024/25 season, the 17-year-old goalkeeper enjoyed his first campaign as a full-time footballer and even travelled with the first team in the Emirates FA Cup.

Explaining his journey into academy football, Edwards said: “I was playing a game at my Sunday league team and one of the Burnley scouts got in contact with my parents.

“They basically asked if I’d be willing to go down to the development centre, which I did for a few weeks and picked up an injury, so I was out for three weeks.

“When I went back they said they were struggling for ‘keepers at the academy so they’d like to send me down to see how I found it, and it all started from there.”

Edwards signed his two-year Burnley scholarship last summer and played a big role in the U18s team that won the Professional Development League North section title.

Or young Clarets boasted the best defensive record in that league by a long way, with their total of 26 being 19 better than nearest challengers Sheffield Wednesday.

“As a team it’s been a very successful season,” Edwards continued.

“Winning the league was something that Tony (Philliskirk – U18s Manager) and Matt (Walsh – U18s Assistant Manager) set out for us at the start.

“They believed from early on that we had the team and the individuals to go on and really compete for the title.

EDWARDS REFLECTS ON ‘ROLLERCOASTER’ FIRST SEASON IN FULL-TIME FOOTBALL - Image 1

“From an individual point of view it’s very much been a rollercoaster ride.

“Towards the start I was only really playing in the U17s games and by the end of the season I’d travelled with the first team, played three times for the U21s and made 33 appearances overall.

“Before the scholarship started, I spoke to my parents and we accepted the fact that minutes might come few and far between, and that I’d just have to take the chances that I was given.

“To reflect on the season now and be able to look at all the things I’ve accomplished and all the highs and lows, it’s great going into next year being a second-year scholar.”

As he mentions, Edwards featured for the U21s a handful of times towards the end of the campaign.

After keeping a clean sheet on debut away at Birmingham City in March, the teenager managed another shut out at Colchester United and kept goal in Andy Farrell’s side 4-1 victory over Watford at Turf Moor.

“It was a great start to be honest,” he continued.

“In the first game of course it’s natural there were a lot of nerves, but in the latter two against Colchester and Watford I started to express myself and I felt much more comfortable.

“All the U21s players got around me and made me feel much more comfortable which was great, and obviously the two clean sheets were a massive bonus.

“Playing at Turf Moor was great. Honestly, walking out with my family being in the stands was a very proud moment.

“It’s been a long, incredible journey from grassroots football and it’s all worked up to now.”

EDWARDS REFLECTS ON ‘ROLLERCOASTER’ FIRST SEASON IN FULL-TIME FOOTBALL - Image 2

Furthermore, the shot-stopper was given the opportunity to travel with the first team to all three of their Emirates FA Cup matches at Reading, Southampton and Preston North End.

That experience of travelling with the squad, staying overnight and warming up with the other goalkeepers ahead of kick-off is something the 17-year-old looks back on fondly.

To finish, he explained that dynamic and looked ahead to next season, with the U18s set to compete in the U18s Premier League under manager Tony Philliskirk.

“They (the other ‘keepers) were all great,” he said.

“Being around them in training has been really beneficial for my development, but for Kersten (Kuhl - Goalkeeper Coach) and Kingy (Connor King - Assistant Goalkeeper Coach ) to give me the opportunity to travel with them in the FA Cup, which is such a huge competition, was great.

“Visiting stadiums, being around players in the changing room – it gave me an insight into what that level of football’s really like.

“There’s a good balance. Traff’s only young and is playing at such a high level and doing so well. To have him and the likes of Etienne and Vas around me, even the U21s like Chaz (Charlie Casper) and (Sam) Waller too– it’s a great unit to learn from.

“Next season’s going to bring a lot of new challenges, but I feel as a team we’re ready to step up to it.

“Obviously the competition will be much harder; you’re playing against the best teams in England.

“But I believe if we do our best in pre-season, we’ve got the individuals and team spirit to really push on and give it a good go.”