Ex-West Ham youth coach who mentored Man City striker has just joined Wolves with Rob Edwards
West Ham will line up against a familiar face in the Wolves technical area when they meet on 3 January.
The Black Country outfit have finally appointed a new manager in the form of Rob Edwards, after Vitor Pereira’s efforts have left them rooted to the foot of the table.
West Ham have turned their own Premier League fortunes around somewhat of late, as they recently notched back-to-back league wins for the first time since February.
They face a crucial ‘six-pointer’ on the horizon at Molineux in their first outing of 2026, and that will see them come up against a former member of the coaching staff in E20.
Rob Edwards joined at Wolves by Harry Watling
Edwards has been briefly linked with the West Ham job in the past, and he has now taken charge of one of their rivals in the relegation battle at the moment.
The 42-year-old attracted plenty of attention when he led Luton Town’s survival fight down to the final day of the Premier League season back in 2023-24, and he had been doing an impressive job at Middlesbrough of late.
The former defender had led the Teesiders to second in the Championship table at the 15-game mark before his appointment was confirmed at Molineux on Wednesday.
Edwards made 100 appearances for Wolves during his playing career, and he now faces the task of trying to salvage the top-flight status of a team that have claimed just two points so far this term.
The ex-Wales international will be joined in the Wolves technical area by ex-West Ham youth coach Harry Watling, who was also part of his backroom team at Middlesbrough.
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Harry Watling mentored Divin Mubama at West Ham
Divin Mubama was a hugely promising talent for West Ham before he left to join Manchester City for a £2million compensation fee in the summer of 2024.
The striker made 18 senior appearances for the Hammers after being prolific for them in youth football, and he is now on loan at Stoke City, where his performances have earned him his first call-ups to the England U21 setup.
Now 21, it is clear that Mubama has a big future ahead of him, and much of his development at the London Stadium as a youngster can be attributed to Watling’s impact.
Mubama revealed the then-U15s coach’s importance to his progression in an interview with the club website back in 2020, while discussing some electric form that he was in at the time.
“Harry (Watling) is my mentor and takes time out of his day to help me a lot, and so does Coley (Carlton Cole),” the starlet said at the time.
Mubama’s progression since he left West Ham has quickly begun to make the Irons look silly, and they are now about to line up against the man who helped to hone his talent.
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