After what seemed to be a disappointing deadline day for Northampton Town, the signing of free agent Kyle Edwards was announced 90 minutes after the deadline. Whilst many will already know, this article is going to look at who the new man is, and what he can bring to Sixfields.
The 27-year-old winger has signed a deal running until January with The Cobblers, having spent the entirety of pre-season working with the club originally as a trialist. Edwards became a free agent in the summer following his contract expiry at Stevenage, who he made just 8 appearances for after joining in February 2025.
Edwards had a sharp looking pre-season which evidently impressed Nolan and many Northampton Town fans. However, much like the story of his recent career, Edwards picked up an injury which delayed the process of his signature being confirmed by manager Kevin Nolan, as he monitored the players attitude and strength as he aimed to recover as quickly as possible.
Nolan is now feeling confident in the attacker, stating ‘he is in good shape and it is just a case of building his game time up which we will do over the next few weeks’. After an injury ridden few years, Edwards has the chance to prove he is still as good as he once was and push back to the higher level he had once hoped.
After starting his career in the West Brom academy, Edwards went on to play 49 times for the West Brom first team, including 5 Premier League appearances for The Baggies. Edwards then moved to Ipswich Town where he won League One promotion at Portman Road, making 32 League appearances in the promotion campaign of 2022/23.
Since then, however, the road has been tough for the quick and technical winger. A string of injuries has limited him to just 21 appearances in the last 3 season. If he can overcome this and stay fit, it could definitely be a smart coup by Nolan and his crew, but it may be a tough ask considering both his and the clubs injury records.
How Does He Work For Northampton Town?
As to where Edwards fits in the system for Nolan, his raw pace and athleticism will see him fit perfectly into the attacking midfielder role in his current 3-4-2-1 set up, or as the left winger in the 4-2-3-1 Nolan has implemented before.
Either way, Edwards will cause absolute chaos in the wide channels, linking up perfectly with players like Tyrese Fornah, Ethan Wheatley and even Nesta Guiness-Walker and Jack Perkins down The Cobblers’ left-hand side.
Whilst some fans may see this as a good depth signing, I think Edwards has the ability and determination to become one of the most important players at Sixfields this season, taking over the role of recently departed Tariqe Fosu with his flair and technical ability. Definitely one to watch this season. League One could be in serious trouble.
