Aber's Edwards sets sights on doctorate
Saturday 11 July 2009
by Katie Norman, South Wales Echo

AN ex-Welsh international has set his sights on a Phd after graduating from university with a first class honours degree.
Christian Edwards, from Caerphilly, may have achieved footballing success with some of the UK’s top clubs, but he said his first class degree in sports development and coaching from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) was his “best ever achievement”.
The 33-year-old, who left school at 16 to undertake an apprenticeship with Swansea City, is now preparing to embark on a Masters degree in sports development and hopes to one day become a university lecturer.
He said: “I played for my country, I played in the Premier League and I was lucky enough to experience a life most lads crave, but to get a First in my degree just outshines all of that.
“And to have become a father to my two daughters along the way makes it all the more special.”
During his three-year course, Christian juggled his studies with becoming a father to Maya, two, and 10-month-old Olivia.
He has retained his links with football by coaching and playing for Aberystwyth Town, but he is glad his professional footballing days are over and a new chapter in his life has begun.
Christian said: “When I was 23 at the peak of my career, I was honestly in a different world.
“The people in that world think they’re a law unto their own, you see the money that flies around, and people think they can do what they want. When you come out into the big wide world it smacks you hard.
“I’m just glad I’ve managed to come through that and get a First in my degree. It’s real sense of achievement.”
Christian’s footballing talents were spotted by Swansea City around the time of his GCSEs and he decided to leave full-time education to embark on a footballing career.
He played for Swansea until 1998, fitting his A-levels around football, before transferring to Nottingham Forest for five seasons, one of which was in the Premier League.
He then had three seasons with Bristol Rovers before becoming a student.
“There were a few reasons why I retired at that point,” said Christian.
“I wasn’t enjoying football as I used to. It had been part of my life since I was five years old, and I felt that as a player I was never going to reach the heights again. I was also recently married and my wife Fran was settled in her job as a teacher in Newport.”
Christian also suffered from sudden blackouts during the latter stages of his career. There were initial fears he could have brain tumour, but the results of a brain scan and heart test came back negative.
When he began his studies, Christian worried his grades would not be good enough.
He said: “I decided to just do my best, try to get through and hopefully go on to do a PGCE and become a PE teacher.
“But as time went by, my grades got better and better. I was really pleased. I decided to do a Masters degree if I could and finishing with a first allows me to do that.
“I’d like to possibly stay on for the long haul and do a Phd if I can. Eventually I’d love to lecture at UWIC or another university. That’s my ideal job now.”