Ronnie Edwards wins the EFL's Young Player of the Month for January.
Peterborough United’s Ronnie Edwards has been awarded the EFL’s Young Player of the Month award for January.
The 20-year-old played every minute of league action for the Posh as the Sky Bet League One side went unbeaten throughout the month, registering two wins in three outings to climb the table.
“I’m delighted,” Edwards says. “It came as a surprise but I’m really happy. Usually, you see a lot of midfielders and goal scorers at the top end of the pitch get these awards, so it’s nice as a defender to be recognised!”
After missing out on promotion in last year’s Play-Off Semi-Final, Peterborough have dusted themselves off under the tutelage of boss Darren Ferguson. The Posh manager has five promotions under his belt – four of which came with his current Club – and he knows something of winning.
But it’s Edwards’ relationship with Ferguson that has helped him – and some of the Club’s other array off young talent – to progress.
He continues: “The gaffer is amazing. He’s proven himself in League One massively with the amount of promotions he’s had. I was here when we got promoted but I only played two games, but I was fortunate enough to be under him.
“He’s really good to work with and it’s not just about the way he plays, but once he sees something in a young player, he puts full trust in them and helps them develop. I’ve got to thank myself, but I’ve also got to thank him for the player I am at the minute.
“The relationship that me and that gaffer have got is quite open. Because he’s got such high expectations of me, he’s not scared of pulling me and telling me if I’m not playing well. Also him keeping me on my toes allows me to go on the pitch and not have that pressure but know that I’ve got to perform and be as good as I can be.”
The month of January saw Edwards register his 100th league start for the Club in a 2-1 home win over Shrewsbury Town. It’s an impressive feat for the highly-rated centre-back – who has been partnered with Josh Knight at the heart of the back-line – at his age.
“That’s the main thing that Posh has helped me achieve,” Edwards adds. “I’m getting more experience with every game and it’s a good thing to have, especially as a young defender. When I was near the 100th mark, I was asking people here and there where I was at. Now, after it, it’s just about playing as many games as I can and getting as much experience as I can.
“Especially playing in the Championship and League One, it’s a lot tougher on the physicality side of this league but that’s the experience that you need. It’s learning your own ways and experience of how to deal with different opposition.”
Perhaps most notably, the Three Lions international was a part of the England Under-19s team that were crowned European champions in the summer of 2022, beating Israel 3-1 in the Final.
And his experience playing for his country has only helped his development on a Club level, lining up alongside the likes of top-flight talent Jarell Quansah, Alex Scott and Aaron Ramsey on the big stage.
He says: “We had a good team, but we all bonded together. We were quite a close group you could say, but that closeness off the pitch bonded off the pitch. It was just a mentality that we were so good as a team and so good together, no matter who we played. When you are so tight, you have that belief and trust in each other that somebody is going to go and win you the game.
“You’re playing with players who are at Clubs that you want to be at in the future but the amount of games that I’ve played at this level, I bring that experience with me. It’s good seeing different talent and dynamics and it’s a good mix.”
His attention turns to Peterborough's promotion campaign this season, with the Club eyeing a top-two finish this year. And despite a poor run of form in recent weeks, Edwards is confident that Ferguson’s side can turn things around.
“At the start of the season, that’s always the goal that we set ourselves, to get promoted and I think we’ve got a great shot at it,” he explains. “We’ve definitely got the team and staff for it. We know what we’re capable of doing.
“We had a sit-down and a talk about our recent form. It’s just about clicking that reset button now. It’s about going again and I’m sure we will.”