Rob Edwards wants to wow Wolves fans at Blackburn

The 33-year-old will take the reins for his first ever competitive match as a head coach looking to end Wolves' miserable run of just one point from five games.

That form prompted Wolves to sack Walter Zenga this week.

And Edwards – who refused to say he wanted the job full-time but admitted he has managerial ambitions – has called for his players to give a big performance at Ewood Park.

"I want to excite the fans," he added. "I want them to come back down the M6 thinking 'wow, what a performance, they really worked hard for the club today'.

"I want them to feel proud of the team when they go home.

"We will run. The players will work for the shirt and each other and give 100 per cent.

"Beyond that I'm hoping we'll see an identity with what we do without the ball and with the ball. I'm not going to give that away now, but I'm hoping that will be clear.

"The Edwards way is hard-working. We are going to run, we'll work hard.

"I want to be able to play with the ball and you'll see an identity – a team that knows what it's doing with and without the ball."

Edwards, who joined Wolves' coaching staff in 2014 as under-18s coach before progressing to first-team coach under Kenny Jackett last summer, said he wasn't surprised that Zenga had been sacked, due to football's cut-throat nature.

He doesn't believe that Wolves are a bad team – and is confident of a result.

"I don't think the team is far away," he said. "We've got some fantastic players.

"Maybe that end result hasn't quite been there, but the performances have, perhaps more consistently than the results.

"I'll be really excited. There'll be nerves, it'll be like making my debut again. But my debut went quite well – we won 1-0! So I'll take the same result. There'll be a lot of emotions going through my head, but pretty much all positive."

Edwards was regularly seen speaking to Zenga during games, and offering instructions to players.

What did he learn from the Italian? "I was saddened to see him go because it's not nice to see anyone lose their job and I'd like to say thank you to him as well," Edwards said.

"He was great when he was here and I learned a lot from him, as did everyone.

"He was getting his ideas across and it's always a shame because you want to see someone see their work through.

"Everyone was really with it. There were new and fresh ideas...there was obviously a difference from Kenny (Jackett). It got the players going, it was something different and we could play a different way because we had all these new players.

"It could have worked out going further forward but we can't think about that, we've got to move on.

"We've got to move on. Life moves on. It's ruthless, but that's the business we're in.

"I wasn't shocked because the expectations here, the position we in, there's obviously going to be pressure there. I know it's early in the season but it's what happens in football.

"Everyone was fully on board. I spoke to Walter yesterday.

"I think he wants to come in and see everyone and he said he wants to shake my hand and thank me for everything I've done, to me, so that meant a lot.

"The nature of the business we're in, I don't think we can be shocked by too much anymore."

Having worked under Zenga, Jackett and plenty of other managers during his career such as Mick McCarthy, will Edwards try and model his management style on anyone in particular?

"Ultimately I've learned from everyone I've worked under and pick up the best things from each person," he said.

"Walter had a really clear way of how he wanted to play the game.

"His training methodology was really interesting and I learned a lot from him.

"I picked up many little things.

"Then, for example, Mick McCarthy used to always speak to the players if they weren't involved and tell them why. I thought that was brilliant. So there's something I'll always take.

"You learn the good and the bad and try and be the best person you can be."

And how about the classic managerial dilemma...suit or tracksuit??

"I wouldn't be comfortable in the suit...that's a bit too soon. They'd probably be thinking 'who does he think he is?!'. It'll be tracksuit.

"With regards to announcing the team, I'll do it in my own time, but everyone will know where they stand in good time."