Edwards has waited longer than most for his breakthrough into the Chelsea senior setup. A schoolboy player in our Academy who signed at the age of eight, he fell short of being offered a scholarship and soon found himself back with the Under-9s, this time working as a coach.

His progress over the 12 years since has been steady but measured as he developed the art of coaching by working with the best young talent in the country, learning from coaches such as Steve Clarke, Brendan Rodgers, Paul Clement and Steve Holland.

Neil Bath, our head of youth development and the man who released him at 16, has offered guidance throughout his journey and will certainly be watching his ascent to the Stamford Bridge dugout with great pride. It is not just Chelsea Academy players making an impression on Frank Lampard – the entirety of his backroom staff have spent time working under Bath in our youth development programme in various roles over the past decade.

It is therefore no surprise that Edwards views his promotion to assistant coach as the culmination of a lifelong quest to make his own Chelsea breakthrough.