Ronnie Lee Edwards (born 28 March 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Southampton.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronnie Lee Edwards[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 March 2003 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Harlow, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Southampton | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Barnet | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Barnet | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2024 | Peterborough United | 121 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Southampton | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | England U19 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | England U20 | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:01, 16 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:17, 25 March 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
He began his career with Barnet before earning a move to Peterborough United in 2020. In his first season, Peterborough won promotion to the Championship. In the following season, Edwards became a regular starter for the club, winning the Player of the Season award. In the 2023–24 season, Edwards was a member of the Peterborough team that won the EFL Trophy as well as winning the League One Young Player of the Season award. His form earned him a £3 million move to Premier League side Southampton.
Edwards has represented England at youth level, winning the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2022. He has also played for England at under-20 level.
Club career
Barnet
Edwards joined Barnet at the age of nine, and progressed through the club's academy, captaining the under-18s.[3] Aged sixteen, he made his senior debut when he captained a young Bees side in a Middlesex Senior Cup game against Staines Town on 17 December 2019.[4] Four days later he made his league debut as a late substitute against Maidenhead United.[5] He made five appearances for the Bees in the 2019–20 season.[6]
Peterborough United
He joined Peterborough United after a successful trial against Peterborough Sports in August 2020.[7][8] He made his debut on 8 September 2020 in the EFL Trophy against Burton Albion.[9]
Edwards made his full league debut on 15 December 2020 in a 1–1 draw away to Milton Keynes Dons.[10]
The 2021–22 season saw Edwards establish himself in the first-team picture. Although the club suffered relegation from the Championship, the season proved a success on an individual level, winning four awards at the club's end of season awards, including the Player of the Season.[11]
Edwards was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month for January 2024, registering his 100th league start for the club in the same month.[12] He was a member of the Peterborough side that won the 2023–24 EFL Trophy, starting in the final at Wembley Stadium.[13]
Southampton
On 3 July 2024, Edwards joined Premier League club Southampton on a four-year contract for a reported £3 million.[14][15]
International career
Edwards was called up to a training camp with the England U19 national team in May 2021.[16] In October 2021, he was called up to the full U19 squad for the friendly Marbella Cup tournament and made his debut during a 3-1 defeat against France.[17][18]
On 17 June 2022, Edwards was included in the England U19 squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[19] He started in the final as England won the tournament with a 3-1 extra time victory over Israel on 1 July 2022.[20]
On 21 September 2022, Edwards made his England U20 debut during a 3-0 victory over Chile at the Pinatar Arena.[21] On 10 May 2023, Edwards was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[22][23] He started all four of their games at the tournament including the round of sixteen defeat against Italy.[24]
Career statistics
- As of 8 May 2024[25]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barnet | 2019–20[26] | National League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| Peterborough United | 2020–21[27] | League One | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021–22[28] | Championship | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[29] | League One | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[30] | League One | 45 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | 55 | 2 | |
| Total | 121 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 143 | 2 | ||
| Southampton | 2024–25[31] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 122 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 148 | 2 | ||
Honours
Peterborough United
- EFL League One second-place promotion: 2020–21
- EFL Trophy: 2023–24[32]
England U19s
Individual
- Peterborough United Player of the Season: 2021–22[11]
- EFL Young Player of the Month: January 2024[12]
- EFL League One Young Player of the Season: 2023–24[33]