Wolves forge closer links with Telford amid increased investment and Rob Edwards appointment

It’s understood Wolves – who have enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the National League North club for the past decade – will increase its investment at Telford to improve the New Bucks Head pitch and changing rooms.

And Edwards’ appointment – a month after he left Molineux – increases the possibility of more loan players being sent to Telford for non-league experience.

However there's no official 'feeder club' arrangement and certainly nothing in terms of Fosun becoming stakeholders or official investors in Telford.

Wolves already play their under-23 games at Telford, share ground staff and have sent several players on loan there in recent years including Harry Burgoyne, who made his first-team breakthrough last season.

Those close links will now tighten with the appointment of Edwards and extra cash from Wolves.

Edwards left Molineux last month after Paul Lambert was sacked, with new boss Nuno Espirito Santo bringing in his own backroom team which now consists of five Portuguese staff.

The 34-year-old former Wolves player was highly regarded at Compton Park having been quickly promoted from under-18 boss to first-team coach after just a year with the youngsters.

He knows the setup at Telford well having visited there dozens of times in the past three years and it's thought Wolves helped facilitate his appointment as boss. The former defender could have held out for a coaching job at a league club, or even a managerial role, but has decided to take the plunge in National League North, where Telford finished 17th last season.

Edwards will look to utilise top young talents from Wolves' academy – which is rated as the third best in the country – to help improve his new team.

The ex-Welsh international replaced management team Rob Smith and Larry Chambers who were sacked yesterday. Chairman Ian Dosser resigned, citing that it was the 'right time to hand over the reins to the majority shareholding family'.

Edwards said yesterday: “(I’m) really excited to be joining AFC Telford United as their new manager.

“This is my hometown club which I have a real affiliation to.

“I will be working very hard to see what we can achieve and hopefully see the football club raise its profile to a new level.”

Interim Telford chairman Andy Pryce didn’t comment on Wolves’ involvement in the club, but added: “We have secured some investment which doesn’t change the ownership model of the club.

“There will be no shares purchased for this investment, shares are still available to buy. It is purely investment into the club’s structure on and off the field.

“This investment gives us links to better commercial and community avenues, so it’s not just a management change. It’s a different way we can run the club on a sustainable footing for the coming years.”