Wrexham fans will all have their own personal heroes but Carlos Edwards surely ranks high on any cult hero list.
The last few years have been a dream for most Wrexham fans.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’s 2021 takeover saw the Hollywood duo pay around £2million for Wrexham.
Phil Parkinson is now chasing a third straight promotion with McElhenney confident of landing a spot in the Championship.
Their journey has seen Wrexham fans pick up some new heroes from Paul Mullin to Ollie Palmer and from Arthur Okonkwo to James McClean.
Many will still reminisce about heroes long before the McElhenney and Reynolds era though with Carlos Edwards standing out.
Carlos Edwards became a Wrexham hero
The early-to-mid-2000’s saw Wrexham become a home away from home for three Trinidad and Tobago stars.
Carlos Edwards and Hector Sam arrived in 2000 with future cult hero Dennis Lawrence joining in 2001.
The trio became firm favourites at Wrexham but Edwards reached the highest level of the three.
Edwards dazzled up the right flank for Wrexham, impressing as a winger who could also play as a wing back or right back.
Wrexham gave Edwards a real platform to shine and he grasped it with his electric performances in five superb seasons.
Edwards attracted admiring glances but Wrexham stood firm in the face of financial difficulties, rejecting a ‘weak’ offer from Preston North End in 2004, as Denis Smith told Wales Online.
Wrexham went on to win the LDV Vans Trophy in 2005 with Edwards in the side but he did end up leaving that summer.
Edwards moved on to Luton Town in 2005 and then featured for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 World Cup.
January 2007 saw Edwards land the biggest move of his career as he joined Sunderland, linking up with Roy Keane as the Black Cats pushed for the Premier League.
Roy Keane loved Carlos Edwards
Sunderland paid £1.5million for Edwards, as noted by BBC Sport, a fee Wrexham could have only dreamt of receiving.
Edwards’ move was influenced by fellow Trinidadian Dwight Yorke, who was playing under former United teammate Keane at Sunderland.
Keane told The Chronicle that Yorke spoke highly of Edwards with his recommendation taken on board.
“I wanted somebody to play on the wide right with attacking ability and Carlos was a player that immediately sprang to mind. We had him watched a few times and he played up here a couple of weeks ago. Yorkie spoke well of him and we’re delighted to get him,” said Keane.
Edwards also highlighted Yorke’s influence, telling Sky Sports that Yorke actually set the wheels in motion for his transfer.
“Dwight phoned me after Luton played up at the Stadium of Light and asked if I was interested in moving. I saw it as a step up, no disrespect to Luton. I had the opportunity to play for one of the great former players in Roy Keane – and I look up to Dwight. He’s a hero and put Trinidad on the map. It was special,” said Edwards.
“Luton told me I could go and have a chat and they had accepted a bid so I went for my medical and met Roy Keane,” he added.
Edwards fired Sunderland to promotion with five goals in 15 games after his January move and then featured prominently in the Premier League too.
Keane took a real liking to Edwards and even signed him for Ipswich Town in 2009 as well.
Only two players – Daryl Murphy and Grant Leadbitter – were picked more by Keane during his managerial career.
Denis Smith was the only manager Edwards played more games under than Keane with the pair striking a great bond at two clubs.
A quite brilliant find for Wrexham back in 2000, Edwards went on to become a real favourite for one of the finest captains the game has ever seen.
Edwards enjoyed a brilliant rise off the back of his Wrexham move and, now 46, he was recently playing non-league football for Hadleigh United in Suffolk.
Edwards will go down as one of Wrexham’s finest signings and you can be sure that he would be welcomed back at the STōK Cae Ras any time in the future.