Highly-rated defender Ronnie Edwards has been cleared to play for Peterborough United in the League One play-offs before joining up with England’s Under 20s for the 2023 World Cup in Argentina, i can reveal.
Edwards has been one of Peterborough’s standout players during a season in which they snuck into the play-off places on the final day. On a dramatic Sunday they beat Barnsley and overtook Derby, who lost to Sheffield Wednesday, by a single point in the final playoff spot.
They now face a daunting two-legged semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday, who finished third on a staggering 96 points — the most ever for a third-place team in the top four tiers of English football.
The first leg is at Peterborough’s Weston Homes Stadium on Friday night but there was some uncertainty as to whether Edwards would be able to play in the second leg, scheduled for next Thursday, and indeed the final should Peterborough make it, due to his expected call-up for the England Under 20 World Cup squad.
However, manager Ian Foster has given him permission to continue playing for Peterborough and to join up with the rest of the squad, which was announced on Thursday, when his club season has concluded.
Manchester United recently blocked teenager Alejandro Garnacho, who has made more than 30 appearances for the first team this season, from joining Argentina’s Under 20 squad for the tournament. But it is usually preferential to avoid entering into a club v country argument in these matters.
Edwards, who came through Barnet’s academy from age nine and made his professional debut for them when he was 16, only turned 20 in March but has played more than 80 games for Peterborough and was voted as the club’s player of the season for the 2021-22 campaign.
He has played for England Under 19s 10 times and was part of the squad that won the Under 19 European Championship last summer, starting in the final.
Edwards is contracted to Peterborough until June 2025 but is attracting significant interest from Premier League clubs.
Peterborough had been outside the playoff places from December to March but saw an upturn in performances when Darren Ferguson took over for his fourth spell in January. Under Ferguson they won 13 of 23 games.
Ferguson described Edwards as “an incredible talent” after he helped the side keep a clean sheet against Birmingham in the Championship last season.
“It helps having Ronnie Edwards at the back,” Ferguson said. “He’s an incredible talent, easily the best young player I’ve managed. He seemed to get everyone playing.
“It was a remarkable performance as he also coped defensively against two Premier League standard players in Troy Deeney and Tahith Chong. They will cause Championship teams many problems, but defensively we were excellent.”
Other key players in Foster’s Under 20s World Cup squad include Carney Chukwuemeka, the 19-year-old midfielder who Chelsea signed from Aston Villa for £18m last August, Manchester City forward Liam Delap and Southampton midfielder Samuel Edozie who has played more than 20 times for the first-team this season following a £10m move from City.
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