Joe's new deal
If all goes to plan, Argyle captain Joe Edwards will remain a part of the Argyle family for some time to come.
The heart-and-soul wing-back evidenced that desire by signing a two-and-a-half-year contract extension at Home Park on Tuesday afternoon, tying him to the club in a playing capacity until the summer of 2025. Argyle reciprocated, with a commitment to support Joe in gathering coaching qualifications for a future role in the Home Park set up once he has decided to retire from playing.
Whether Edwards continues to play beyond the summer of 2025 remains to be seen, but whenever Joe does decide he’s finished on the pitch, an agreement in principle has been struck for the Gloucester-born player to transition into a coaching position at Argyle – which speaks to the esteem he is held in and the respect he commands in the corridors of Home Park.
Joe said: “It’s a very exciting time for me. It’s a very proud moment to extend my contract and I couldn’t be any happier.
“I’ve got a lot of thanks to the club, Neil and the gaffer to give me this opportunity. Playing is my first concern, and I want to keep playing and being successful for as long as possible, but with their backing I’m hoping I’ll be at Argyle for a long time and have a good future here.
“I try my best every day in training and games, and they’ve shown me that respect. They’ve offered me that opportunity to be here a long time and that’s something I could only dream of really.”
Edwards was the first signing of the Ryan Lowe and Steven Schumacher era at Home Park, joining the Pilgrims in the summer of 2019, helping Argyle to promotion back to Sky Bet League One at the first time of asking at the end of a truncated 2019/20 season. Deployed initially in holding midfield before occupying a place at right wing-back, where he has been a regular ever since.
Joe’s qualities on and off the pitch have been evident to see in the seasons that followed, and he was the obvious candidate to accept the armband when previous incumbent Gary Sawyer was sidelined with injury early in the 20/21 campaign.
Stepping into the captain’s role, Joe led by example, chipping in with seven goals and winning the Player of the Season award as Argyle consolidated on their return to the third tier.
21/22 saw continued progress for both Joe and Argyle, with the wing-back’s influence continuing to grow as the team improved around him. Memorable goals against Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United were particular highlights in a season in which Argyle accrued 80 points and fell narrowly short of the League One play offs.
Joe has featured in all bar one of the 22/23 Sky Bet League One fixtures so far as Argyle set the pace at the top of the table, with his 150th game in Green coming in a stunning 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday at a sold-out Home Park.
Argyle Director of Football, Neil Dewsnip, said: “We’re delighted for Joe, and delighted for Argyle, really – we’ve secured both a player and a person of the highest quality and that can only be a good thing for the long term health of the club.
“Joe sets the standard for the team, he’s an Argyle man who embodies the values and culture of the club. It speaks to the approach that we have here at Argyle to develop talent and maintain a strong philosophy through at all levels, and to be able to provide that pathway for Joe when he does decide to transition into coaching is very exciting.
“I have no doubt when the time comes he will become an excellent coach, but we can all see that he continues to improve as a player, and he has a lot to offer on the pitch for the next few seasons.
Manager, Steven Schumacher added, "I’m delighted that Joe has extended his contract with us. He is exactly the type of player we need at Argyle.
"He gives 100% effort to his work every single day, and in every game he plays.
"He has developed into a fantastic captain who is a leader in the dressing room, and he sets a perfect example of how a professional player should act both on and off the pitch.
"This type attitude that Joe has will also set him up to become in my opinion, a very good coach one day, and we are happy to help him along his journey with acquiring his qualifications and coaching experience in the future."
