Josh Edwards on Charlton leap of faith as former SPFL star settles into Big Smoke life

Dundonald Road in Kilmarnock is a long way from the bright lights of London – but that’s the journey Josh Edwards embarked on this summer.

As a kid, he didn’t have to travel far to be happy. If he climbed out of his bedroom window and jumped over the back wall he was at Rugby Park, the home of his boyhood club. Now he hops on the tube at Kidbrooke and takes the 20-minute ride into the heart of England’s capital to see Buckingham Palace or Tower Bridge. Edwards’ move to Charlton Athletic was always going to be a life-changing experience for the Ayrshire-born left-back. He had other options when leaving Dunfermline.

The 24-year-old could have chosen to live in Barnsley or Bristol to name but two. But after speaking to Addicks gaffer Nathan Jones, London was his favoured destination. And he doesn’t regret his choice one bit. Edwards picked up a nasty injury in his first Charlton home game last week that will keep him out for a few weeks.

But he’d already impressed Jones so much in pre-season that he started their League One campaign as a first-pick. He was man-of-the-match in their opening-day win at Wigan before being carried off at The Valley a week later in a victory over Leyton Orient.

It hasn’t dampened Edwards’ spirit about a move that he believes can take his career to a new level. He told MailSport : “It has been a massive change. I wouldn’t say I was sceptical about moving to London but I’m not used to living in a big city.

“I lived in a quiet area of Kilmarnock where I grew up. I stayed just outside Rugby Park. If I climbed over a wall I was at the stadium as my window looked right on to it.

“As a Kilmarnock fan it was ideal for me. This is a bit different, going from a small town to a huge city, but I’ve really