Dave Edwards recalls fuming at Jez Moxey – and almost signing for Bristol City

Extract taken from Dave Edwards – Living My Dream

Kenny (Jackett) had said that Jez (Moxey) was going to ring me but the call hadn’t come. So on the Thursday I phoned Kenny and told him I had to know what was happening out of fairness to Steve who was still waiting for my decision.

It was now, effectively, the last night before my wedding because I was leaving the house on the Friday to go and stay with my friends.

I said I needed to know by 5pm, because I felt morally bound to give Steve my answer.

Time passed quickly that afternoon. 1 o’clock. 2 o’clock. 3 o’clock. Nothing happened. I asked Emma that, if it came to it, would she be happy for us to move to Bristol? She said, “Yes, of course, whatever you want to do.”

I had already spoken with my family the night before and they’d also said I should go if it was what I wanted, particularly with the security of a three-year contract.

It was now 3.30pm. Still nothing. ‘Stuff it,’ I thought. ‘I’m going to ring Jez.’ I was so angry by this point. I rang Jez, heard a foreign ring tone, there was no answer and the call went to voice mail, so I left a message.

I then tried Kevin Thelwell, Wolves’ head of football development and recruitment. He assured me the matter was being dealt with by Jez, and that Kenny said it was getting sorted.

I had no choice by then and gave them an ultimatum – if it got to 5 o’clock and I hadn’t heard anything I was phoning Steve Cotterill to sign for Bristol City.

It was now 5.10pm and I’d heard nothing from Wolves. The deadline had passed. It looked like I was on my way to Bristol, then my phone rang. It was Jez. I was fuming by now.

I demanded to know what the hell was going on – Kenny had told me two days ago that two years was fine and the deal would be done but, here I am, the day before my wedding and seconds away from calling Bristol City’s manager to agree a move.

At this point Jez was still trying to negotiate with me. He said he’d e-mailed my agent with an offer but, I said, that wasn’t the deal anymore.

It was a flat two years, on the money we had agreed, or I was gone. I made it crystal clear that unless he honoured my verbal agreement with Kenny I’d hang up and sign immediately for Bristol City.

I was as angry as I’d ever been with Jez, and probably also the first time I’d ever got him on the back foot – something that doesn’t happen to Jez very often! The whole affair had annoyed me and this was now a matter of principle.

Financially, my contract was so inconsequential compared to others in terms of the money on offer and the money new players were getting.

"Ok. Gentleman’s agreement," Jez finally said. "We’ll get it done." However, I asked him to put it all in an email to my agent immediately, and phoned 20 minutes later to check it had been received. It had.

All sorted. Apart from one thing. I now had to phone Steve Cotterill and tell him my decision. So much of me had wanted to sign for Bristol City, but two reasons had kept me from doing it.

Firstly, the size and stature of Wolves, how I felt I was clawing my way back up at the club and that didn’t want to be remembered as a bit of a failure. I desperately wanted to prove myself to the club and its fans.

Second was the geography – my family were happy and my kids were happy. I may have been a professional footballer, but I was also a father and a soon-to-be husband. Everything else was screaming for me to go to Bristol City.

I felt like they really wanted me whereas Wolves were maybe doing me a favour. It was a very difficult conversation to have with Steve.

Dave Edwards – Living My Dream is out now.

Edwards' proceeds from the book will go towards his Little Rascals Foundation. Visit www.littlerascalsfoundation.com for more details.