Edwards knew that the day would come, but he expected the club to get a little more with Hayen to the helm.
When, in the summer of 2022, an approach of the Brugge Club arrived to take care of its children’s children, Club Nxt, it was impossible to have rejected.
“It was a bit surprising,” says Edwards. “I didn’t expect to have any dialogue with a club like Club Brugge.”
They had intervened as the assistant of the first team after Scott Parker was fired in 2023, before having his opportunity as an interim manager when Ronny Deila left last March.
There, Hayen found that former Sint-Truid teammate and former Liverpool and Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, to trust.
“When [Deila] He resigned with 10 games to go last season, Nicky intervened and won nine of them and came out of nowhere to win the League. That was a real statement, “says Edwards.
It was during that race that Jan Mulder, former Ajax striker and Anderlecht became an expert, made a prediction for Hayen’s future.
“After year [he] He will play a series of matches in the Champions League, attracting the attention of Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and Manchester, “Mulder wrote in smoke, external in May 2024.
“Nasser al-Khelaifi of Paris St-Germain also joins the fight for his firm at the last minute. Personally, I think that the great Nicky Hayen will replace Arne de Zwolle as manager of Liverpool in two years.”
The first part of Mulder’s premonition has proven to be true: Brugge Beat Villa, Sporting and Sturm Graz de Hayen in the group phase, as well as the drawing with Juventus and Celtic.
The Belgian champions continued to defeat Atalanta on both legs of their play-off for a aggregate victory of 5-2.
Before that second stage in Italy, Hayen explained how before the games he always talks to his mother, who died four years ago.
“What he has achieved in the Champions League is simply incredible. The Brugge club over the years has had much better sides on paper, but is receiving an incredible melody of them,” says Edwards.
“He is a work addict, fanatic and leads from the front. I suppose that is why many of these younger players who are working so hard for him and having great success.”
The brief mandate of Hayen in Wales also established the platform for the future of Haverfordwest. In 2023, under Tony Pennock, they qualified for Europe for the first time in 19 years and only the second time in their history, reaching the second round of classification of the European Conference League.
“It’s great that the club is associated with someone like that,” says Edwards.
“It seems that it is only the beginning for him. I would love to continue. I am sure that there will be opportunities to handle even higher if it continues.
“It is probably one of the most popular properties in Europe.”
